Shaded Dreams
by Zeragii
Summary: When the Bone Cousins returned to Boneville, they thought their part in the grand story of the Valley was over. They couldn't have been more wrong...
1. Prologue

Atheia was a beautiful city.

It was like a jewel among common stones; a gem to behold amongst its brethren cities. And even its rival cities. By day it towered over all with its sun-baked brick walls, stained white with a stony wash. Some, but a rare few, were etched from solid rock, to the point where one could never quite be sure what was hewn by man and what was not. It was a marvel of its time in the Valley; a true capital of commerce and trade to be sure. People of various sorts came from far and wide; from every corner of the Valley, to buy, sell, and haggle for goods. Days were hot and dusty; clouds of dry, tan dirt kicked up by travelling wagons of hay or vegetables gave everything it landed on a pale, worn look. The noise was unequaled in any region. The raised voices of vendors; the cheering of drunken warriors; the laughter of children; all these things were staple sounds of the Valley's greatest city. The Valley's safest point.

A safehaven for all.

But it was at night that it showed its true beauty. At night, when it was far too dark to see the dry gray and tan of dust; at night when the crowds had died down to the simple barking of mutts in the streets, far in the distance; that was when the true Atheia began to glimmer. It shimmered with the warm glow of countless torches, one outside each resident's home like some sort of path for weary travelers to follow. The light flickered off of every wall, filling the city with a blanket of descending peace and safety. Stars, more than any man, woman, or child could ever count, dazzled the black sky, lined on the horizon by mellow dunes of aging sand. It gave a sense of security. A sense of true reflection and ease of mind.

Except tonight.

On the balcony of the city's great palace, a figure, clothed in flowing folds of silk and veils, stood rigid and alert. The wind ruffled her garments, and what little hair showed from beneath her shawl riggled against her forehead. What was most visible was her eyes. They seemed to glint with a fire all their own, a glimmering beauty like the stars above. Blue orbs, wide in concentration; scanning the land as though searching for something. Something she feared, for her hands, braced against the wall, shook with an ever waning tremble. Like a child when a nightmare has passed but is still so very real in memory. The glow of the full moon glinted off of those eyes; pools of calm, smooth concern; and yet they were indeed edged with fear of an almost panicked kind.

Thorn refused to blink. Even though she could feel the exhaustion from the day pulling at her eyelids, she refused to let it win. She was tired, but she had been tired before and had dealt with it. It would not control her. A blink would send her to sleep; she was certain. All it would take would be a meeting of her lids and all would be over. And she could not sleep tonight. Why, she did not know; only that it was crucial. She could feel it in her soul; feel it in her heart. And those were things she always followed.

Something was wrong. Very wrong.

A disturbance in the Dreaming, of that she was most assured. She could feel it deep within her, and most strongly when she lay on the warm mattress of her bed. A sort of softly growing threat, still so small that it would be so easy to mock. But Thorn knew better. She could almost feel it watching her; waiting for her to let down her guard. Waiting with hateful eyes full of vengeance and loathing; stronger than anything she had ever felt before but hidden in a pitiful lump. It was trying to decieve her. Thorn could almost see a face in her thoughts; a vague outline of the evil she could sense, crouching.

Waiting to strike.

It made her shiver, pulling the robes of her garment against her body, though not for warmth.

"Thorn?!"

The Queen of Atheia gave a startle, jarring herself away from the thoughts that had been closing in around her. The moment was shattered. The threat had fled; she could sense that too. Like a wary beast, it had rehidden itself. But somewhere, it lurked. She was certain.

Turning to the open doorway behind her, Thorn winced at the sudden presence of a torch in her bedroom. It cast light all about the room, as well as long, pitch black shadows. Thorn raised a hand to shield her eyes, giving a sigh, whether of relief or frustration she couldn't tell, when her eyes lighted on a familiar figure.

"Gran'ma?" she inquired, seeing the concern on the elderly woman's wrinkled face. "Is...Is something wrong?" But she knew something was wrong. She had simply hoped that it was only she who had sensed it.

Rose Harvester, better known by the name Gran'ma Ben, stood in the stone archway, chest heaving and eyes wild in a way that had become increasingly rare. For a moment, she looked as if she were terrified for her life; but that couldn't be right. Gran'ma was more than capable of taking care of herself, herstrength outlasting and outdoing even the strongest of men. And she feared very little, having faced more dangers in a lifetime tham most might in a hundredlifetimes. The only thing that could scare her this much was...if Thorn herself were in danger.

Gran'ma didn't waste any time with pleasantries. She moved swiftly and silently across the floor, her eyes sweeping the room carefully before lighting on her grandaughter's face. She stopped, and they were so close Thorn could feel the old woman's breath ruffling her veil. "You felt it; didn't you?" Her voice held a desperation that vastly clashed with the calmness of the room and the city below them. When Thorn only stared back, Gran'ma gave her an insistant shake. Not hard, but certainly forceful. "Thorn, please, do not try to protect me by keeping silent! You know full well how that worked out for you and I before!" Still, her voice was little more than a harsh whisper, as though she didn't want anyone to hear.

Thorn winced, remembering all the years of silence that had nearly torn apart her relationship with her only living relative. Only now that she was Queen herself, like her grandmother once was before her, did she fully understand why Gran'ma had done what she had. There were just some times when silence was less painful, and less dangerous, to others. There were times when the truth would do more harm than good.

And this was not one of those times.

Realizing that this was far more serious than she had first thought, Thorn reached forward, taking her grandmother by the elbow and leading her swiftly out onto the balcony. Time as the city's Queen, as well as the hardships she had endured to get there, had made Thorn far more mature than her age might suggest. With a calm and dignity she always seemed to possess, even though she didn't always feel it, Thorn took the torch from Gran'ma Ben and set it into a place in the wall. "Yes," she said hurriedly; already knowing what her grandmother meant. "Yes. I felt it."

That dreadful feeling of rising evil. Yes; she recognized it.

Gran'ma nodded, seeming to get a hold of herself to some degree. Her eyes scanned the horizen, like an eagle she searched for something they both knew was too well hidden to be found. "I don't know what it is. It is strong; very strong. I felt it in my sleep; felt it in the Dreaming."

Thorn nodded, giving her grandmother's arm a series of comforting pats. If Gran'ma had felt it, it must have been very strong indeed. Thorn had believed that only she, as a Veni-Yan-Cari, had felt the presence in the darkness. For Gran'ma to feel it, nearly as strongly as she did herself, was a very bad sign.

Taking a steadying breath, Thorn swallowed down a rare sense of panic that threatened to come through her facade of control. She hated being the one in control. She hated being the one everyone looked up to, despite the fact that everyone told her how well she filled that position. She hated having the lives of so many held in the palm of her hand, and was constantly afraid of dropping them. Of breaking them.

"From where, Gran'ma? From where did it come?" She had an idea, a sense, but she really didn't want to consider it. She really didn't want it to be what an inkling inside her so persistantly urged her understand. She didn't want to believe it. She didn't want to even entertain the possibility. Maybe Gran'ma could allay her fears; strike them down before they consumed her...But she was sadly mistaken.

Gran'ma Ben stepped further out onto the balcony, illuminated in blue, misty moonlight. It would have been pretty, if not for her words. Four words that cut Thorn deep, right to the heart, causing the breathe to freeze in her throat.

"From across the desert..."

* * *

 **Hello! I'm Zeragii!**

 **I've written a few Bone shorts here on fanfiction in the past, and enjoyed it very much; so now I'm back with a full-blown sequel to the original Bone comics. Now, naturally, I do not own, nor claim to own anything pertaining to Bone in any way. I am simply a fan having an immense amount of fun. I do not write for profit. I write only for my own enjoyment, and (hopefully) the enjoyment of others.**

 **This is just a prologue to get me started. Much longer chapters to be expected in the future...**


	2. Home Not So Sweet

Smiley Bone sat very still.

It wasn't something he usually did. He was normally quite active; a thin bundle of energy on legs. He seemed almost tireless to others; going from one task to the next with a unending supply of will and determination. But today it was different. Today his mind and body felt unusually tired; weak almost. If he didn't know the reason he might have gone to a doctor, but, for once, he did know. He was exhausted. Not that sleepy-eyed, yawning exhaustion, but that mind-numbing, shaky exhaustion; the kind where you just stare into space, seeming to see right through everything and everybody. And that was exactly what Smiley was doing. Sitting in the Big Johnson Bone Memorial Park, on an old, paint chipped bench; shoulders slumped and gazing out into nowhere, a blank sandwich grasped gently in his hands.

It was a beautiful day in Boneville. The sun was shining its golden light, glinting it off of the moist, summertime grass, making it seem to glow with an iridescent green. Little Bone children played in a field to Smiley's right, throwing a frisbee back and forth, laughing merrily. Outside the city park, and not far behind Smiley's back, the loud hustle and bustle of the city created a sort of transcending white noise to the closer sound of high, cheerful birdsong. The air was still cool from the morning, fog having lifted to reveal bright blue sky, and everything smelled of wet grass and warm asphalt. But Smiley wasn't paying attention to any of it. Trapped in his own world of thought, he didn't hear, see, smell, taste, or feel anything. And it appeared as if nothing would be able to break his concentration.

Well, almost nothing.

Bartleby gave a small hiss of concern, craning his neck to look down into the Bone's face before rubbing carefully against his friend's shoulder. The contact startled Smiley, and he jumped, very nearly dropping his blank sandwich into the grass and gravel at his feet.

"Oh! Bartleby! I'm sorry. I forgot you were there..." That didn't sound like a good excuse in the Bone's own ears, and so he added weakly, "Guess I was just thinking a little too hard." He gave a chuckle, but it was a tired, half-hearted wheeze more than anything. It did little to allay Bartleby's worry.

Smiley had been acting oddly for the last three days; ever since the two of them had returned from the camping trip with those three, nice, little Bone boys. Sure they had had a good time, and Bartleby had thoroughly enjoyed Smiley's stories of Big Johnson Bone; but things since then had't been quite...normal. Smiley was usually a very deep sleeper, but, lately, he had been tossing and turning in his sleep; when he actually _managed_ to sleep at all. Most of the nightly hours were spent staring up at the ceiling. Bartleby knew this because he and Smiley shared a room, and the rat creature, who didn't need half as much sleep as a Bone, had witnessed Smiley's restless behavior firsthand.

" _Are you well?_ " Bartleby hissed, his voice that familiar, reedy exhalation of air Smiley had grown so used to.

Smiley gave a laugh, and this one sounded more genuine. "Of course, Buddy; just a little occupied, that's all. I was thinking of Fone Bone and Phoney; they'll be coming home today."

Bartleby nodded his large, purple, furred head; blinking his enormous, bulbous eyes against the rising sun. Glancing over at the children playing in the field, he momentarily entertained the thought of running over and giving the kids someone to play with. The rat creature had become quite well-known throughout all of Boneville. That fact was most actively attributed to the local newspapers, which had proclaimed Bartleby a strange creature of monstrous proportions, but perfectly harmless. And while adults tended to glare at him warily, children adored the kindly rat creature. Playing with the tykes was one of Bartleby's favorite pastimes, and the prospect of letting out a little energy right then was very enticing.

But then he looked back over at Smiley, and his small, round ears drooped sadly. The Bone was right back the way he had been before; staring off into space with a nervous, almost pained look. Again the rat creature sensed that there was something far more wrong than Smiley was admitting. It kind of hurt; the fact that Smiley wasn't telling him. After all, they were best friends. That's what they were, no matter what people said. Many believed Bartleby to be some sort of pet; a beast tamed by the Bone cousins in the wild world beyond the desert. That he was nothing more than a dumb animal. They couldn't be more wrong. Smiley and he thought of each other as equals; pals; buddies. There was no master and pet. Only friendship. But perhaps there were things that couldn't even be shared with friends. If that was the case, Bartleby was very glad that Fone Bone and Phoney were returning that afternoon.

" _Where did they go again? I forget._ " He made sure he spoke loud enough so that Smiley would startle once more. It worked.

Smiley blinked, coming back to himself. "Huh?...Oh, um, they went to meet with the Council in Upper Boneville."

That was true. Ever since their return from the Valley, all of Boneville had been in an uproar. Partially because Phoncible P. Bone had returned, but more because the inhabitants wanted to know where they had been and what they had done. After all, they had been thrown out of Boneville with little more than the clothes on their backs and Fone Bone's satchal, but had returned with a cow, a rat creature , a cart, and a whole slew of stuff therein. It had left the media demanding where they had managed to find such 'medieval-looking' objects; and, in truth, the cousins had been eager to tell. After over a year of dragons, princesses, kingdoms, monsters, and a long chain of one life-threatening event after another, they were very anxious to share their adventures.

But few had believed them.

Try as the cousins did, the people of Boneville were divided; the younger, more spirited souls clinging to their every word, while the older, and far larger majority of Bones felt that the tales were nothing but lies. Things had gotten hard after that. Sure, the publicity was great, but what was the point when half of the known world thought you were either a lunatic, or a compulsive liar. Smiley had found it necessary to fight for the right to keep Bartleby at all; seeing as the people thought he might be a danger to society. Thankfully, a lot of Bones trusted the tallest cousin, and he had actually managed to get some support and won ownership of the rat creature. Smiley shuddered to think what might have become of his friend had he lost.

But now it had been over a year and a half, and, while most of the average citizens had accepted the Bone Cousins' story, as either truth or fiction, the governmental system had not. Higher officials still wanted to know what had happened, refusing to believe their stories of an old Valley full of the things they described. A helicopter had even been sent to try and scope out the land in that direction, with no result; a fact that bothered the cousins to no end. So then came the meetings and conferences and interviews, all for the cause of trying to prove them wrong. They had no proof, they said; and apparently Bartleby's existence didn't count.

In the cousins' own neighborhood they were counted as friendly, but odd. Even their extended family members thought so; also divided on where they stood in relation to the tales of the Valley. The rest of the world, particularly the media and business world, didn't trust them, and that was hard for Smiley. He trusted almost anyone, and all his life he had been trusted by others. But now that relationship with people had been tarnished. So had Phoney's; not that people had trusted him in the first place. But, though he was still his old, scheming self, he had gained somewhat of a conscience after all they had been through. He was practically banned from the companies and big corporations, which was very hard on Phoney to say the least. But, thankfully, Fone Bone was there to keep him in line.

Fone Bone. He was the one taking it the hardest. After all that had happened, what with Thorn, the Lord of the Locust, and...everything; how was he supposed to handle being called a liar. The Valley was more a part of him than Boneville had ever been and, to a smaller extent, it was a part of Smiley and Phoney as well. They couldn't just forget it, and they couldn't just say none of it had ever happened, because it had. That was why Phoney and Fone Bone had gone off to the Council. Not that they had wanted to go. But when the Council of Upper Boneville called you to a meeting, you didn't refuse. Smiley had not been invited, which, whiling being a relief, was also a little...insulting. But he had had a prior engagement anyway; with the Bone Scout camping trip. But it still made the taller cousin a bit uneasy. After all, this was his fight too.

Smiley sighed, suddenly feeling even more tired. Thinking about all that had happened since their return usually upset him. He wasn't used to any of it, even after all this time. Standing up from the bench, he tossed his uneaten blank sandwich into a nearby trash bin. Dusting the crumbs from his hand, he gave a nod of his head. "Come on, Bartleby. Let's head home."

The rat creature hissed in response, already walking alongside his companion. Bartleby had really grown since they had come back to Boneville. Smiley could still picture the baby, purple fuzzball they had found in Barrelhaven; lost and hungry. Very hungry. The infant rat creature had very nearly bitten Smiley's arm off when he had offered him food. It hadn't hurt, despite the jagged teeth Bartleby had, since, even then, Bartleby had been very gentle. Smiley had to admit though; it had looked bad. Fone Bone had nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight.

But now, Bartleby had grown to his full size. Or what everyone hoped was his full size. He was easily large enough to ride. In fact, back in the Valley, they had ridden him. He had grown a little bit more since then, though not much. If he stood up on his back legs he was far taller than Smiley. It made him look quite impressive, as well as menacing. Even now, as they walked along the busy streets, Bones watched them uneasily, something both of them had become accustomed to over the last several months.

But Smiley was bothered by it a little more than usual today. Quickening his pace, the Bone took a few side streets that were a little less crowded, before the two finally arrived back home. 'Home' being an apartment in a less-than-renowned hotel. Walking swiftly through the lobby, and into an elevator, it wasn't long before their apartment door was unlocked and Smiley was assuring Bartleby inside. With an unintentional slam, Smiley closed the door behind them, leaning against it in relief. After a moment of heavy breathing, Smiley seemed to realize the odd way his friend was staring at him.

"I don't feel like being watched today by people in the streets," he commented needlessly. Bartleby blinked. The large, glossy eyes made him look like he had as a baby, despite his size, and Smiley just had to laugh. Some of the tension within him diminished and he felt a little bit more like himself. "How about we eat some breakfast. That blank sandwich wasn't...wasn't really agreeing with me today." Despite the fact that he hadn't taken a single bite from it.

Moving over to the white refrigerator, Smiley pulled the door open, his body meeting with the cold, frosty air that swept out at him. It felt good, and for a moment he almost forgot what he had opened it for. Reaching inside he pulled out a half-eaten grinder, a bit of dry cheese, and the last two apples they had. There wasn't much else. It was a good thing Fone Bone and Phoney were coming home later that day. Grocery shopping wasn't really something Smiley enjoyed, especially now. Too many people. Too many eyes watching; judging him. Watching Bartleby like he was some sort of monster. And it wasn't like he could leave the rat creature home alone. Oh, someone would just love _that_. For all Smiley knew, someone might try to steal Bartleby...or worse. No. Shopping had just become a bad idea all round. And so now the refrigerator was practically empty. Fone Bone and Phoney would definitely have some serious questions for him later.

Laying the sparse meal on the counter, he divided it up between them, giving Bartleby a slightly bigger portion. Bartleby frowned. Smiley often did that, as a force of habit. A habit that often didn't settle with the rat creature very well. Back in the Valley, when they had been on the run from Brier and the Lord of the Locust, Smiley had given Bartleby his own survival rations, which had eventually led to Smiley collapsing from hunger. If Fone Bone and Thorn hadn't risked going into a Ghost Circle and had managed to find some food, Smiley very well could have died. It wasn't something the cousins talked about. In fact, Bartleby could not remember anyone ever mentioning it at all. But it was permanently burned in the rat creature's mind.

This, of course, was different. They weren't out in the middle of an ash-riddled destruction zone, or running from evil villains without food, water, or rest. But Smiley's lack of appetite was noticeable. The way he kept getting out food, the blank sandwich for instance, only to either toss it or give it to Bartleby. It was worrisome, and Bartleby once again found himself feeling grateful that the other Bone cousins would be returning shortly. Surely, they would know how to deal with Smiley.

They spent the remainder of the morning and noon sitting on the worn out, green couch in the living room, watching television. Smiley seemed to relax as time went on, leaning into Bartleby's soft fur. They watched mainly cartoons. Smiley liked that. Plus, it kept the urge to watch the news away. The news only talked about things Smiley didn't want to think about. Things that he didn't want to hear. Not right now. Not today. The cartoons were cheerful; funny. And they didn't judge. In short, they were everything the rest of the world at the moment was not. Smiley slipped into a sort of half-conscious snooze, while Bartleby remained still beside him; keeping watch.

It was sometime after 2:30 that Smiley jolted awake, startled by the sound of the front door opening, followed by a pair of loud, irritated voices.

"-Just who do they think they are?! They don't understand what we went through!"

"Phoney, we've gone over this again and again-"

That was Fone Bone's voice. It sounded strained and tired. Which wasn't surprising, seeing from where they had just come. The Council was not a fun place. It had all the charm of a haunted house, with its members little more than cranky, old sticks-in-the-mud. They were snooty, arrogant Bones, who, unfortunately, ran a good deal of Boneville. Most of it, in fact. They had been causing trouble for the Bone cousins since the very hour they had returned from the Valley. And they didn't believe a word any of them had to say. It must have been like arguing with a bunch of know-it-alls. No wonder Phoney was in such a bad mood. Smiley sat up on the couch, hands fisted in his lap, but remained where he was, listening.

"I know, I know," Phoney's voice sighed. There was a bang, and Smiley guessed his older cousin had just slammed his hand against something. "It's just so frustrating!"

"What are you complaining about? They targeted me the most."

"You didn't used to be one of them! Well, not - Oh, you know what I mean! There was a time when I was on the same level as those doddering old-"

"Phoney..."

"Those...those numskulls! I'm almost glad we ended up lost in the Valley! I might have ended up like _that_!"

There was a short pause, in which the two cousins seemed to realize they were home. The quiet stretched on, before Smiley heard the soft padding of two pairs of feet heading into the living room. Fone Bone stuck his head in first.

"Smiley?"

"Yeah; I'm here."

Fone Bone and Phoney entered the room, one looking concerned and the other still very upset. But even Phoney seemed to calm down at the sight of his other, much taller cousin. Fone Bone looked apologetic. "Sorry we were so loud. Did we wake you?" He asked because Smiley looked so tired, like he had just awoken from a less than restful sleep.

Smiley shook his head, remaining seated; slouched. "No." He looked between the two before stating, "I take it it didn't go well."

"That," Phoney growled, "Is an understatement."

"They still don't believe us," Fone interrupted quickly before Phoney could go off on another tirade. "They think we're lying, but that we're hiding something from them. It was...it was a hard meeting to get through."

"So what's the next step?"

"They said if we won't 'tell the truth', they'll discover it on their own. What I really think they'd like to do is either throw us in jail, or put us away in a nuthouse somewhere." Fone Bone noticed the frightened expression that flashed across Smiley's face and quickly backpedaled. "But, of course, they can't do that. They have nothing against us as proof, just like they claim we have none to prove that what we are saying is true." He shrugged, suddenly feeling disgusted with the whole subject. "But we'll talk more about that after we've calmed down a bit. How was the camping trip, Smiley?"

"Oh...It was nice. The boys were fun, after Bartleby and I got them to liven up a little. I told them some stories."

Phoney seemed to tense a little. "About the Valley?"

"Well...yeah."

Phoney through his hands up in the air above his head. "Great! That's just perfect! Why don't we just go around with signs on our back that say 'Take a good look, people; we're lunatics'!"

"Phoney, don't be mean! Smiley hasn't done anything wrong! The entire world knows our story anyway, it's not like Smiley let out a secret!"

Phoney crossed his arms over his small chest angrily. "That's beside the point! We never should have told anyone about where we were and what we did! All it's done is get us in trouble! We should have just forgotten about the whole, stupid adventure!"

Silence followed, in which all three Bones wished fervently that that had been possible. But how could it have been? They had been on a journey so fantastic; so magical; so crucial, that it had left a permanent mark on them. Even if they had never said a word about the Valley, their characters alone would have aroused suspicion. Smiley was no longer the town fool he once was; evidenced by his contemplative nature and organized will. Fone Bone had become more vocal; standing up against things that he would have simply let lie before. And Phoney, though he still managed to get into trouble on a regular basis, actually seemed to be thinking things through a little more clearly. His consideration for others was improving; though, certainly, no where near perfect. These changes alone in the cousins would have led to questions. And questions would have led to, eventually, the truth. They would have ended up right where they were now; just, maybe several weeks further behind.

Smiley was still sitting on the worn couch, staring down at his hands fisted in his lap. He wanted to jump to his feet; assure his cousins that everything would be alright, but, for some reason, he couldn't. It was like he didn't even have the energy. It was like, as each day went on, more and more of his life force; what made him who he was, was slowly draining away. He loved Boneville; and yet, he hated it. He kept thinking of the Valley; longing to go back. And Smiley knew that Fone Bone and Phoney were feeling the same way. But then, there were the dreams...

A sense of sickening panic took hold of Smiley; and not for the first time that day. He had become a master at hiding it. The dreams had started two weeks prior, shortly before he had left for the camping trip. It had been tolerable then; almost dismissable. But now, it had grown. Smiley felt as though he were being crushed on all sides. Why was he the only one who seemed to notice? Couldn't anyone else feel it? It had robbed him of sleep for nights. And he didn't know how much longer he could take it.

Fone Bone gave a loud, frustrated sigh. "Well, we can't really do anything about it now. We opened our big mouths, and now we're paying for it."

"Heh," Phoney snorted bad-temperedly. "Since when do people pay for telling the truth?"

Fone sent him a warning look, signalling that the discussion was over, before turning his eyes back to Smiley. His brow furrowed as he took in his taller cousin; the way Smiley seemed so tense and rigid. Smiley was staring off into space, in their direction; making it hard to tell how long he had actually been listening. His hands were fisted tightly in front of him, creating a knot of fingers on his lap, intertwined so tightly they shook. Suddenly very concerned, Fone Bone took a step forward, reaching out a hand to brush Smiley's shoulder.

"Smiley? Are you ok?"

At Fone Bone's touch, Smiley jolted visibly; eyes widening and snapping back to reality. Bartleby almost sighed in relief. He had been afraid that by the time Fone Bone and Phoney had returned, Smiley would no longer be acting strangely. His fears were diminished now, at least in that respect. It would have been hard to explain what had been happening to the two cousins, especially since neither seemed to be able to understand his hissing voice as well as Smiley. It was almost a relief that Smiley was still behaving oddly; that way Fone and Phoney would be able to experience it first hand. Surely they could figure out what was wrong.

 _"He has been acting this way for days,"_ Bartleby supplied, edging closer to his friend as he spoke.

Smiley, now thoroughly freed from whatever had snatched his attention so fully, turned dull eyes back to Fone Bone. Somehow, he felt even more drained and tired than he had felt a few moments ago. Fone and Phoney both looked worried by this point; Fone Bone having now seated himself on the couch beside his cousin.

"Are you sick?"

Smiley shook his head, groggily. "No...Just tired."

Phoney raised his brow. "Then why don't you go get some sle-"

"No!"

The shout rang through the sudden quiet like the sound of shattering glass. Fone Bone, Phoney, and Bartleby flinched back at the unexpected yell; from Smiley of all people. Smiley hardly ever raised his voice. Almost never. He had only done so once or twice that any of them could remember; one being the time that Rock Jaw had tried to take Bartleby from him. Since then, none of them had seen Smiley so upset...until now.

"N-no..." Smiley seemed lost. His hands clenched tighter, as a slight tremble took hold of him. "I-I can't sleep...I-I can't..." He choked on the words, closing his eyes as if in pain. He was trying not to lay anything more on his cousins shoulders. After all, they were fighting their own battles. They had been through so much. It wouldn't be fair to give them more to worry about when they were already practically at their limit. It wouldn't be right.

But Smiley couldn't hold it alone anymore. The sleepless nights were getting to him. Even when he managed to drift of, his mind raced in his slumber with images that he could never quite decipher or remember, but knew frightened him more than anything he had ever felt.

A hand gently lay against his back, and Smiley knew it was Fone Bone. It felt warm there; comforting. Something that he had sorely needed for the past week, but had been unable to get.

When Fone Bone spoke, his voice was gentle, but also very concerned. He sent Phoney a look, finding that his own emotions were being reflected in his older cousin's face as well. He gazed back to the shivering Bone beside him. "Smiley...What's happening? Why can't you sleep?"

For a long moment, there was no answer; and it seemed as if they were never going to get one. But then, slowly, Smiley's eyes rose to meet those of his friends; his family. He was visibly trying to get a hold of himself, with limited success. Whatever was wrong, Fone Bone realized, had hit Smiley hard. He could see it in his eyes; the way he struggled to find the right words.

"Fone Bone..." He took a deep breath, but the trembling didn't stop. It was as though he had to fight to get the words out. "R-remember...back in the V-Valley...the dreams?"

For a moment, Fone Bone looked confused. But then an understanding flickered into his expression. "You mean the ones that Thorn and I would have? That came from the Dreaming? Yes, I remember." A sickening feeling began to creep into Fone's being; a sense of uneasiness around him that he had been far too upset about the Council to notice before. Even Phoney, who was now beside him, seemed tense; as though he could now feel it too.

A presence. A dark, dangerous feeling; like a cloud. Familiar, and yet they couldn't seem to place it. As they became aware of it, it seemed to grow stronger, until it was as if it were standing right before them; clear as day. And yet nothing was. Had they had hair, it would have been standing on end. Bartleby had enough for all of them, and it bushed out around him as though he had stuck his tail in a light socket. Even the rat creature now seemed conscious to it; letting out a hiss of warning. The three Bones and the rat creature pressed into one another, suddenly feeling trapped.

Smiley gulped, trying to finish what he had intended to say.

"Some...Something's w-wrong..."

And suddenly, everything went dark.

* * *

 **Alright, this has actually been in my Doc Manager for quite some time. I'm very nervous about writing this story, since I see more than one person has attempted to write a good Bone story. I thank you for any positive feedback, but also, feel free if you have any dislikes. I hope that the characters won't be out of character; but they will be slightly. The reason for that (in my mind) is that, in the comics, they really did change quite a bit. Smiley went from being a village idiot, basically, to being quite a strategist in the battle again the Lord of the Locust. Fone Bone was affected by their adventure too; what with his love of Thorn and the responsibilities he had been forced to handle at that time. Phoney...well, Phoney didn't change a whole lot, but there are hints in the comics that suggest that he has a deeper personality than he seems too. And there were very subtle changes in him as well.**

 **So, in my story, I'm trying to create the characters again, starting were the comics left off. Their characters have come a long way, and after returning home I'm sure they developed further. And so, as I try to write another adventure for them, I hope that their continued character development will be alright; especially in the eyes of fellow Bone fans. :)**


	3. Winged Darkness

_ZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZzzzzzzzzZzzzzz..._

It was the sound they noticed first, even before the darkness fully registered. It was like the hum of a thousand lawnmowers, or perhaps a million fans rotating at full speed. But, then again, it was a noise uncomparable to any other sound. Helicopters, thunder, maybe even the roar of a fleet of jet engines might have qualified. Whatever it was, it filled the room just as the darkness fell. It was suffocating; as if it were an actual substance. It fell so quickly, so violently, that the three Bones gave a startled yell, which was lost in the surrounding thrum that seemed to vibrate the very floor beneath their feet. Fone Bone felt his cousins, and even Bartleby, press up against him in the inky blackness. The feeling of an unwelcome presence seemed even more pronounced now; making fear run up and down all their spines.

Fone Bone's mind was racing, his heart beating so hard in his chest it hurt. He tried to match up the sound with a familiar answer he knew that he possessed. Why did it all sound and feel so recognizable? He had felt this terror before; knew the thrum that rumbled all around them. A breeze seemed to have come up, swirling about the room, which made no sense, since all the windows were closed. His mind struggled to put into words what that meant exactly. They were standing in utter darkness, and yet it was only around three in the afternoon. It was summer; the sun normally didn't set until much later...So what was going on?

"We need to get to the window," Fone shouted, even though he was pretty sure that the others would never be able to hear him through the din. He needed to see something. He needed to get out of this darkness; let in the light. Feeling around and trying to reorient himself within the room, he reached out a hand in front of him, only to draw it back with a start.

He had felt movement.

Not a strong encounter, like a bump or something against a solid object; it was more of a brush. A whisper of a movement, like the fluttering of a moth's wings against his fingertips. Many, _many_ moths.

Fone Bone froze, uncertain as to what he should do. His imagination could be just giving him a hard time. This was their home after all, run-down though it may be. They were safe here. Nothing could get in. His mind must be playing tricks on him. But, when he had held his arm out once again, the feeling returned, a little more solidly. Fone's muscles stiffened as he tried to resist the urge to freak out and run. Something was inside their apartment, and it was making him very, very uneasy. Something about it was familiar, the sound, the feeling that sort of made him sick to his stomach; and yet he couldn't quite place it. Yet...

But right now, he needed to see. A threat always seemed scarier when in darkness. But he wouldn't give...whatever it was, the satisfaction of seeing him panic. He was going to make his way quickly, but _steadily_ , toward the window. Light had a habit of chasing away the darkness, and that was certainly what he wanted now. He wanted to see if this darkness was outside, or just there within their home.

Fone Bone extricated himself from the mess of arms, legs, and fur that was his cousins and Bartleby, suddenly feeling very exposed the minute he stepped away from them. That threatening presence was still strong, and as he separated himself, he could almost feel its gaze upon him. Slowly, but with growing panic, Fone crossed the room; all the time expecting to feel something reach out and grab him. Hurt him. With a sudden desperation, Fone Bone raced forward, throwing all previous thoughts of dignity to the wind. Something crunched beneath his foot, before he hit the wall a moment later, gasping softly as he made his way along it. He had changed direction, aiming for the light-switch rather than the window, feeling that the need for light outweighed his curiosity and need for answers. He fumbled frantically for a second, but then he felt the smooth tab of plastic that he knew was the switch and, with a quick jab, flicked it on.

The room lit up in beautiful, golden light; shining down from the bare bulb in the ceiling. Fone Bone gave a start, his breath catching painfully in his throat. Instead of the light descending on the room in a usual manner, it spread, like molasses; or maybe it was that the darkness was slowly melting away from it. Tiny specks; a blanket of churning, black organisms, fleeing the light. Just as quickly as Fone Bone noticed them, they were gone, leaving a doubt in his mind as to whether they were ever there to begin with. The sound their movement made, however, had become even more familiar. The darkness lifted, and light burst back in through the window, as though something that had been obscuring it had suddenly moved aside. The abruptness of it all was frightening, and felt very surreal in the sudden quiet. The only noise audible was the Bone cousins ragged breathing and the sound of Bartleby's soft, nervous hissing.

After several moments of uncomfortable silence, Phoney shifted nervously from his place among the other two. "What...What was that?" He shifted his gaze to Smiley, who, eyes wide, was tightly clinging to Bartleby's fur. The shortest Bone's face changed with sudden concern; a still rare emotion to be seen in him. "Smiley...? You Okay?"

Smiley nodded a little dazedly, shaking slightly, though considerably more calm than before the blackout. Fone Bone, however, didn't like the look of him. Crossing swiftly, Fone made his way toward his taller cousin...before the crunch of something beneath his feet made him halt. Looking down, he stepped backward, gazing in fascination at a dark, crumpled lump on the floor. Crouching, he gave it a light poke with his finger. It didn't move...But, as he looked at it, it began to look more and more familiar...More significant. It appeared to be a bug. Well, that was odd. How had that gotten in? Being summertime, all manner of insects would sometimes find their way indoors; but there was something more sinister about this one. Almost...meaningful.

 _A locust_.

The realization slammed home so suddenly that Fone Bone felt his heart give an unexpected jolt. It was a _locust_. One, solitary locust; smushed into the gray rug of their apartment. Under any normal circumstance, he would have shrugged, grabbed the dustpan and disposed of the thing without any further thought. But a nagging feeling at the back of his mind caused an alarm to go off in his head. Memories of the Valley; of the _Enemy_ filled his thoughts, and mixed with all that had just transpired. The blanket of teaming black...he had stepped on it...it had left a locust. A coincidence? Maybe.

But unlikely.

Shifting his gaze upward from the floor, his eyes met those of his cousins. They looked ruffled, and frightened. Even Phoney seemed distinctly rattled. They too had noticed the insect on the rug, and by their expression Fone could tell they had come to the same conclusion as he had. With a sense of reluctance, he looked down at the bug with foreboding and an almost pained expression.

"This is...from the Valley." It was all he needed to say; and, oddly enough, all he could bring himself to say, at least for a moment. He swallowed. He wanted to believe otherwise, but that was impossible. The markings on the locust were very pronounced. They didn't have bugs like this in Boneville, nor anywhere else that Fone Bone was aware of...other than the Valley. He kept silent a moment, fighting the urge to say what was truly on his mind. Come to find out, he didn't need to.

"But...But _he_ was defeated...We saw it." Phoney's tone held a hint of denial. Fone Bone couldn't blame him. He felt it himself. Phoney glanced out the window, at the perfectly normal day going on beyond it. "We all saw it. The dragons defeated him. Thorn and _you_ defeated him...He couldn't have..." His voice trailed off.

Fone Bone himself found it hard to believe. The Lord of the Locust, to whom Phoney was namelessly referring, was a nightmare that each of the cousins had purposefully tucked into the backs of their memory. He was an evil spirit of darkness and evil; a demonic force that thrived on fear and terror; most of which he generated himself. He was a disruption to the Dreaming, a power that the Bones had come to respect during their adventures, even if they didn't fully understand it. They also understood that the Dark Lord needed a physical host to control to manifest himself in the Waking World...Which was were the locusts had always come in. And now, out of the blue, after so long, circumstances were rising in ways that Fone Bone felt rip at his soul uneasily.

Turning abruptly, a look of determination suddenly masking his fear, Fone Bone marched forward to stand in front of his tallest cousin. His height barely came to Smiley's chest, but the urgency in his stance made him feel much taller. "Smiley, have you been having dreams? Nightmares?"

Smiley was still greatly upset; standing with his fingers deeply intertwined with Bartleby's fur. He was shivering again, noticeably, but he managed to answer. "Y-yes."

"For how long?"

"Since...Since just before I left for the camping trip." He took a deep breath. "It wasn't so bad then. Just little jolts where I'd wake up feeling a little scared. Nightmares aren't that unusual; that's why I didn't tell you guys."

Fone Bone nodded, agreeing. Nightmares weren't unusual for them. They had seen so much in the Valley, and not nearly all of it pleasant. It only stood to reason that some of what they had witnessed would come back to them at night from time to time.

"It wasn't really a problem then, and didn't happen every night; just once in a while. But this is different," Smiley insisted shakily. "It...It kept getting...more disturbing. Now..." He closed his eyes tightly, as if the very mention of his experience hurt. "Now I can't sleep ten minutes before them starting. And they're so much _worse_."

Phoney was rubbing his arms, as if he were cold. He did that when he was worried, a habit he had not had before their journey in the Valley. Fone often wondered where the nervous motion had come from. "What're they about?"

Smiley flinched at the question. "I...I-I can never remember..." His eyes closed harder as he tried to fish that information out of his memory. "...There's darkness...I remember that much. Lots of...voices? Too many; I can't understand them..." Fone Bone and Phoney grew concerned. As Smiley spoke, his breathing grew heavier; almost labored. But Smiley, himself, seemed not to notice. "...One voice..." Smiley flinched again, eyes still held shut. "...Fone Bone...One voice, I think it's..." Smiley's eyes snapped open. "I think it's Thorn's!"

"What?!"

Fone's heart gave a violent jump, whether from joy or terror he couldn't tell. Probably both. His love for Thorn had not died in their absence from the Valley. In fact, sometimes it felt as though it had _grown_. But the fact that Smiley had dreamed her voice was worrying. Especially since Smiley's reaction was one of distress. Something was terribly wrong. Fone Bone gripped Smiley's hands, taking them away from Bartleby's soft, purple fur, which Smiley had been gripping very tightly. Bartleby, so kind-hearted as he was, had refused to mention the discomfort it was causing him. "What did she say?!" Fone asked, his voice strained. Something registered in his mind and he added, "Smiley, can you hear them now?" He had only asked because of his cousin's choice of phrasing. The way that Smiley seemed to be listening to something they couldn't hear.

Smiley's breath hitched when he realized that he could. He might have panicked at that moment if not for Fone Bone's comforting grip on his hands. It was the only thing at the moment that was keeping him grounded in reality. The room, in his eyes, had faded to a dark, almost gray hue. He could still hear his cousins, but they sounded far off, new voices taking the foreground. Loud voices. Smiley winced. _Too_ loud. They were all jumbled. Once in a while he thought he caught a sentence or two he recognized. He snatched up words like 'Barrelhaven' and 'Atheia', but only because they were among the louder ones. There were also whispers; so soft that he could barely hear them at all, drowned under the cascade of the stronger voices. It was one of these that Smiley was sure was Thorn's. He didn't know how he was so sure, but he was. She was warning him of something. Something important.

"I...I don't know..." And suddenly it ended. The voices were all at once silenced and the room and his cousins returned to the foreground. Smiley slumped, suddenly exhausted, and he found that Fone Bone had to ease him onto the couch. Smiley gave a sigh, tired far beyond his limit. "Fone Bone...Something's wrong," he repeated.

"I'll say there is," Phoney added breathlessly. His voice might have been mistaken as gruff, but Fone and Smiley knew better. He was just as frightened as they were. Maybe more so. But the thing about Phoney was that he always thought it was his job to protect his younger cousins. Ever since they had been children, Phoney had tried his best to keep them out of harm's way, even though his unorthodox ways seemed more often than not to get them _in_ trouble, more than anything else. But he always meant well. Now, his defenses were up, shielding as much of his true worry as possible.

Fone Bone returned his gaze to the crushed locust. "Something is going on in the Valley. Thorn's a _Veni_ - _Yan_ _Cari*_...Maybe she's trying to reach us."

Phoney looked doubtful. "Can she...do that?" It was a rather creepy thought; that their friend could somehow reach them from so far away. "And if so, why didn't she contact you, Fone Bone? You and her were closest. Why Smiley?"

Fone Bone would have liked to have the same question answered himself. He felt a little hurt that Thorn hadn't tried to reach him, if what they were thinking was true; if Thorn could truly contact them through dreams. He had seen her do some pretty crazy stuff, stuff that was completely unexpected and, under any normal circumstance, unbelievable. But she had done it. Thorn was really an amazing person...

"I...I don't know." Fone turned to look at Smiley. The taller cousin looked terribly unsteady, even sitting, and Fone Bone wondered just how long it had been since Smiley had gotten any sleep at all. Thorn would never do that to Smiley. Heck, she'd never do that to anyone. Even if the situation was dire, Fone Bone found it hard to believe that Thorn would cause Smiley any pain, physical or mental, as the case certainly seemed to be. Fone had never seen Smiley like this. He'd never seen anyone like this...except Thorn. There had been a time, back in their journey, when things had started getting real bad, Thorn had resorted to not sleeping at all. Then she had held the same, far-away stare that now occupied Smiley's face. He was still present, not zombie-like; just...exhausted, and terribly distracted. No, whatever might be causing this wasn't Thorn, and Fone Bone had a bad feeling it was something far worse than anything he wanted to imagine.

"I...think we should..." Fone Bone could feel the familiar pump of adrenaline coursing through his system. It had been so long since he had had the sensation. So long since he had felt the need to use his mind to figure out the mysteries of the Valley. Even now, in the midst of this sudden chaos, he realized he had missed it. It had been so hard to go back to a life as a 'normal' Bone. Especially when he lived in a world that rejected what he had to say. A world that didn't believe in monsters, and spirits, and powers they couldn't even _begin_ to fathom. A world that insisted on the norm, rather than the unnatural. After the thrills and responsibilities of being a hero, how could anyone expect him to go back to a simple nobody. Which was why none of the Bone cousins had managed to fit back in. "I think we need to figure out more about what's happening."

Phoney rolled his eyes. "Great," he growled sarcastically, "A stroke of genius. So tell us, _Einstein_ Bone, just how are we supposed to get anywhere with the jumbled mess of chaos we already have?!"

Fone Bone flinched, knowing that, though Phoney's words might be a little dramatic, they were perfectly true. "We have clues. One:" he pointed to the imperfection on the carpet, "a locust, and two: Smiley Bone's dreams. Both point to the Valley. That's a start."

"Are...are you going to go back?"

Smiley's voice was unexpected, seeing as he had become so quiet in the last several minutes. There was almost a trace of hope in his words, hope that Fone was very reluctant to crush. But they couldn't leave Boneville just like that. People would want to know where they were going. Even though the cousins had never sported any actual proof, they were pretty sure that they were being almost constantly watched. To act unusual in any way would just complicate matters to an even greater extent.

"No...No, we can't even consider that yet, Smiley," Fone Bone said comfortingly. "We have to see if...if it's worth the risk of making the trip. It might just be some really bad nightmares."

Phoney snorted. He pointed down at the crushed locust. "And this?"

The nervous smile on Fone's face disappeared completely. "I don't know." His voice grew stern. "But we can't just leave, not without just cause. We'll have to figure out how much of this is real. We've been so wrapped up in the Valley since we got back, who knows what it might be doing to our mental states."

"Oh, so now _you're_ thinking we're crazy too?!" Phoney exploded angrily. "Just like everyone else?!"

Fone threw his hands above his head. "That's not what I'm saying at all!"

"Well, it certainly sounds like it!"

"Please, guys...stop..."

Both quieted at Smiley's request. The tallest Bone was still sitting on the couch, slumped and shivering, but now his head had lowered into his hands and his trembling had definitely increased. Feeling guilty, Phoney and Fone Bone nodded and discontinued the argument. Smiley didn't like it when they fought. He used to, way back before the Valley. But the Valley had changed that; how, neither Bone knew.

After a moment of silence, Fone Bone spoke again, much calmer now. "We should sleep on it."

Smiley's head raised with a start, fear very evident in his expression. " _Sleep_?! Fone Bone...I _can't_..." He looked like he was about to head into another emotional collapse.

"I know," Fone said quickly and as soothingly as he could, trying to explain himself before he lost his chance. "But we need to see what this is. Phoney and I will stay up and watch over you; see if we can figure out whether this is just a dream or...something else. But in order to do that, we'll need you to fall asleep." He felt like such a monster asking that of Smiley. His cousin was obviously terrified. Terrified of even blinking, if the constant stare was anything to go by. He only blinked when it was absolutely necessary. But it was their only lead. They couldn't very well ask the dead locust what was going on. And no one in Boneville would be of any help. The Valley, though a tempting idea was...out of the question. At least, for the moment. Fone Bone locked concerned eyes with his cousin. "Do you think you can do that, Smiley?"

Phoney opened his mouth to object, but quickly snapped it shut when he received a glare from Fone Bone. Neither of them liked the idea in the slightest, but what else could they do? Smiley needed sleep. Badly. And they needed answers.

This was their only option.

Smiley breathed deeply, trying to push back the fear and confusion that had been steadily building for a good three days or so. He knew that Fone Bone was right, and backed his cousin's decision completely...Then why was he so frightened? His friends and family had always been the anchors that had chained his life to safety. He had always felt comforted by their presence; before, during, and even after their adventures in the Valley. It had kept out everything that had frightened him then. Why was this different? Why wasn't their comfort helping?

Because, unlike before, the fear had no physical form. It couldn't be fought. Could it even be defeated?

"Please, Smiley," Fone pressed gently. "We've got to figure this out."

Slowly, Smiley nodded. "A-alright...Let's try it."

He smiled shakily. It was the hardest thing he had done in a long time.

* * *

 ***Veni-Yan Cari = In case someone has forgotten, a Veni-Yan Cari, or Awakened One, is someone who has a dreaming eye which is more opened than most. :)**

 **Hi again! Sorry it's been so long. I was working at a camp for a month, and I just got back the night before last. Whew! Feels good to be back to writing. Thank you all for your awesome reviews and I am so happy to find that everyone has liked it so far. :) I will continue to do my best!**

 **Thank you!**


	4. Implications

Thorn rubbed her aching temple with a thin, delicate hand, as though that action alone would ease her discomfort. She was tired of the debating, tired of the arguing, and she was _dead_ tired of sitting around and doing nothing. This Council meeting was taking far too long. Far too long for her liking. Or Gran'ma Ben's. The older woman seemed just as uncomfortable and fidgety as she did, the only difference being that Gran'ma followed the rules of etiquette due to the Council.

Thorn, however, couldn't have cared less at the moment.

"But we have to do _something_ ," she broke in, interrupting her grandmother's old Teacher in the middle of his long-winded speech. He gave a start at her intrusion, his thick eyebrows journeying up to his hairline. "Something's wrong; I can feel it! If we don't act now, and something bad happens, what good would our help be?!"

The elderly man, his cloak hood blocking most of his expression from her view, seemed to take his Queen's words into serious consideration before he spoke. "Your Highness, it is foolish to run into a battle unarmed. If we do not know the strength or intentions of our foe, how can we be of _any_ help at all?"

"He's right, dear," Gran'ma spoke up, standing to move closer to her granddaughter's side. "What we felt last night was strong. _Very_ strong. If a danger exists, we need to know more about it before we can fight it."

"But, you said yourself that it came from across the desert!" Thorn blurted, eyes showing true concern. "That's the direction Fone Bone's home is, isn't it? What if they're in trouble?!" She didn't think she could stand that. A day didn't go by when she didn't think of her friend and his cousins. After all, the Bones had practically lived with them in the Valley for nearly two, whole years. They had become almost like family during that time. The glint of concern that flashed in Gran'ma's eyes told Thorn that she shared a similar unease about the whole affair.

"Yes, Thorn; I know," the kindly woman answered, her expression softening. She could see the anxiety this was causing the young girl, and she hated being part of the reason that burden was there. Thorn was a great Queen, mature and fair, never once straying from the true and right path that befitted the Awakened One. But she was still a child. At least, in comparison to most. She was young and, despite her wisdom and power, still very much governed by her emotions. It often worked in her favor, but, at times such as this, it worked against her.

"I may have spoken in haste," she soothed, hoping her words would calm Thorn down rather than upset her. "I don't know for certain as to the direction the feeling came, Thorn. It was...it was all around us. I couldn't tell from where exactly."

"You were very certain last night," Thorn countered.

"Yes, and that was because...I was worried. You felt it, probably a lot stronger than I. Where did you think it was coming from?"

The Council, gathered around them in the throne room, was made up of many of the elders of the city, along with a fair amount of Veni-Yan Warriors. Ever since the fall of the Dark Lord, peace had reigned with the borders of the Valley, even as far as Pawa. Representatives, ambassadors of commerce and trade, and a few privileged friends made up the assembly. Trusted advisers all. Men and women Thorn trusted with her life. But they had not felt the disturbance from the night before. They were at a loss as to just what they should do. And so, in silence, they watched as the discussion went on.

Thorn lowered her eyes to the floor at her feet. She suddenly felt very hypocritical. She had sensed very much the same thing as Gran'ma Ben had, only, as her grandmother pointed out, much stronger. It had been almost stifling. And extremely sinister. "It...it reminded me of...you know, back when we were crossing the wasteland. Like when the Valley was full of Ghost Circles. It just...seemed to come from everywhere at once. But with tides and ripples, like the sea. I...I don't know, but I think it came from across the desert too, but...I'm not certain." It was frustrating. All her powers, and she couldn't even locate where the threat was coming from. It there even was a threat. And, if so, what?

Gran'ma's old Teacher raised a shaggy brow in question. "You relate this feeling you experienced to a feeling you had during our fight against the Locust? That is a serious claim, my Queen. Is it the same power?" His voice carried an edge to it, as though he were either extremely worried, or was holding back a stern retort.

Thorn blinked, feeling an uncomfortable churn in the pit of her stomach. "I don't know..." She wanted to say it was, at the same time that her brain screamed 'no'. Of all the nightmares she had ever faced, the Dark Lord had been the worst. A disembodied voice of hostility in her dreams, a clawing feeling at her mind; he was nothing but a memory now.

"But he was destroyed," a Veni-Yan Warrior broke in, his face hidden completely within the folds of his hood. "He possessed the Queen Dragon, Mim, and was swarmed by the legions of Tanen Gard. You yourself touched the Crown of Horns and demolished his very essence. He is no more."

A tense silence followed his statement. A growing unease had spread through the room, freezing everyone in place. Images of the past battle came to all their minds. Of those they fought, and those they had lost. Of the terrors and fears that had accompanied the days of the Ghost Circles, and the relief at the Dark Lord's defeat. But now, as questions were raised, they began to wonder if their celebration had been too short in coming.

 _He was destroyed._ The sentence repeated itself in all their minds, like a never ending echo. He was _destroyed._ When Thorn had destroyed the fragment of his essence within her, it had caused a reaction that wiped all other fragments from existence. He should have been no more, as the Warrior had said. Too much had been at stake. Too many lives had been lost. It must have worked. It couldn't have been all null and void.

Mermie, who, as a level seven Dreaming Master, was also allowed within the confines of the Council, tilted her head to the side. "You think it is the Dark Lord?" Her question was calm, more of a statement than anything else. Her eyes bore into Thorn, despite their gentleness.

Thorn sighed, straightening in her seat. "Yes." As the room erupted into a loud chorus of many voices, some taking her side and others not, Thorn raised her own to be heard among them. "But I am uncertain! It's just a feeling, and, in the past, my feelings have guided me well." She took a deep breath. "I don't know if it was the Locust...And I hope for the love of this Valley and all that is good that it is not. But something evil lurks in the darkness...I can sense it even now." Her eyes closed, taking in the presence with a air of caution. She re-opened them, glancing back at the Teacher. "You are right. We should not charge into a fight we know nothing about. But neither will I stand by and wait for the enemy, whoever or whatever they may be, to strike first." She stood to her full height, rising out of her chair with purpose. "Ready my horse," she instructed, authority in her tone and stance. "I am riding to the edge of Tanen Gard."

"B-but, Your Highness," an official stuttered, standing as well, with the rest of the Council following suit. "That place is forbidden. Only you, and a select few have ever gone there and returned. What will you do there that will help our situation?"

Thorn gathered the hem of her dress, preparing to depart the Council Chamber in a rush. Her eyes were full of determination, but with just a hint of that wide-eyed fear. "If we must know what is happening, than it would be wise to go to one who may know more than we do." She headed through the archway, throwing the last part of her answer over her shoulder.

"I'm going to see the Great Red Dragon."

* * *

"F-Fone Bone...I don't think this is going to work..."

Smiley was the very picture of misery. He sat on the sofa, almost in the same position he had been before, hands held fisted in his lap. Bartleby had moved closer, offering as much comfort as he could. The rat creature could feel his friend shaking, and his heart sank. Smiley had calmed down considerably since earlier...since that strange incident with the bug. Phoney had dispatched off the insect carcass, but that didn't erase the fact from their minds that it _had_ been there. But, even now, Smiley still seemed a lot more keyed up than Bartleby liked. He was normally such a happy, go lucky character that, to see him anything less was heartbreaking.

"I know, Smiley...Just...Just try to relax, okay?"

Fone Bone's voice held a balanced mix of worry and exhaustion. It was very late now, and darkness had long since fallen on the city. Fone and Phoney had taken permanent residence beside their taller cousin, deciding that they would all just spend the night in the living room. It seemed the easiest place to keep an eye on Smiley...If they could just get him to sleep.

In a way, Fone Bone was glad Smiley couldn't sleep. He had no wish to see his cousin endure whatever might happen once he closed his eyes in slumber. But, then again, there was a mystery to be solved. Questions needed to be answered, and this was the only way.

"O-okay." Smiley's voice shook. His voice wasn't supposed to do that. He was supposed to be the smile that never died, the fountain of endless enthusiasm that couldn't be extinguished. And yet, here he was, tired, worn, and, to be honest, scared out of his wits. Which wasn't an easy thing to do. Smiley was brave, that much had been seen during their adventures. He had handled monsters, war, and even death like a pro. But now that his mind was under...attack? How was he supposed to keep smiling?

"Well, it doesn't help that you keep _talking_ ," Phoney grumped from his perch on the over-stuffed chair in the corner. It was actually quite uncomfortable, old and smelling of mildew. A lump in the back made his spine ache, and a spring somewhere was obviously loose, since it was digging into his hip. Tired from the whole fiasco with the Council in Upper Boneville, and then their current predicament, left him cranky and short tempered. He yawned. "I bet I could fall asleep in a blink." He yawned again, as if to prove his point.

Fone Bone sent him a glare from the stool he sat on by the window. Outside, the lights of the city glowed like a hive of never stilling stars. "Phoney, the point is for us _not_ to fall asleep." He stifled a yawn of his own. Shaking his head to dispatch of any residual cobwebs that had gathered in his mind. "We have to watch after Smiley."

Phoney glowered. "Well, what's the use if he can't fall asleep in the first place?!" he snapped.

"He will."

Smiley wished he could share Fone's confidence in that respect. He was tired beyond belief. A week or more of sleepless nights will do that to you. But, for some odd reason, he just couldn't seem to close his eyes. Blinking, sure; even a long one, but he just couldn't drift off. It was frustrating. He wanted to, for his cousins' sake, he wanted to help figure out what was wrong. It filled him with despair that he couldn't even be of enough use to do _that_.

"I-I don't think this is going to work," he repeated sadly.

Fone Bone sighed, shifting his attention back to Smiley. "Alright," he said patiently, "We'll try talking for a little while. That might help."

Smiley preferred that idea. "What about?"

"How about the Valley?" Fone ignored the groan that came from Phoney's direction. "Remember when we first met Bartleby?" Of course, he knew Smiley remembered. But it was something he knew would grab his cousin's attention. Something with a pleasant memory behind it. Not all their memories of the Valley were good ones, and, at the moment, many of them would not do to help their situation.

Smiley chuckled, absently reaching out for the thick, purple fur of his closest friend. "Sure do. You were a tiny, little thing." He smiled, the emotion actually reaching his eyes. "Even smaller than Fone Bone." He turned his gaze to the great lump of rat creature beside him. "Man, did you _grow!_ "

Fone Bone shared a smile at that. He never would have thought that a creature Bartleby's size could start so small. He had been able to pick the rat creature up when he had first found him, and now he was sufficiently large enough to carry all three of the Bone cousins...maybe more. Bartleby had taken to Smiley so quickly. As had Smiley to him. They were inseparable. To see one without the other seemed wrong. In fact, Fone found it hard to picture what Smiley had been like before the creature's friendship. Smiley had always been a bit of a loner. No, that wasn't right. He loved people, and being around people, but before the Valley, he had never really had anyone. Besides him and Phoney. But that was family. Not the same. But the friendship Bartleby and Smiley shared was a healthy one, and both cousins had seen a change in Smiley because of it. He was more responsible; more concrete. It was a good thing, Fone was sure.

"You really gave me a scare or two, you know," Smiley confided in his friend, his smile slipping a little. "When I thought you were going to...go off with the other rat creatures..." He took a steadying breath. "Turning away was the hardest thing I've ever had to do."

 _Wrong choice of discussion_ , Fone's mind scolded. He hadn't meant the conversation to drift to that. He wanted to cheer Smiley up, not bring him down. Fone remembered the broken look on Smiley's face when they had had to leave Bartleby behind. He had thought that they had done what they had needed to. After all, what could they do with a baby rat creature? But that expression on his cousin's face; that heartrending gaze that had looked as though Smiley's soul had just been torn in two. It hadn't been easy, for Smiley or him. "But he came back," Fone inserted quickly.

Smiley's smile returned. "Yup. Sure did." He yawned, his eyes blinking slower than before. "He always has." There was a long pause in which Fone Bone thought his cousin had actually fallen asleep. But then, softly, Smiley spoke up.

"Fone Bone, what do you think is wrong with me?"

The question caught the shorter Bone off guard. "I...I'm not sure."

Smiley nodded slowly. He tried to act like that didn't bother him. "That's alright. I'm sure we'll figure it out...eventually." He gave a chuckle, but it was forced. It barely sounded like Smiley at all.

Fone Bone watched as Smiley turned back to stroking Bartleby's fur, sleep still evading the taller cousin completely. It was a sad, melancholy motion, so drastically different from his usual, lively movements. Fone's heart sank even lower, countless worries and possibilities flowing through his mind.

"I hope so."

* * *

 _Darkness._

 _Terrible, lonely darkness._

 _An endless, suffocating darkness that was almost like a physical substance, flowing all around, getting in his eyes and nose. He kept his mouth shut, so that he wouldn't swallow any by accident. It crushed in on him, making him feel trapped, held by an invisible force. He panicked for a moment, but the struggle seemed to tire him immensely. He felt weak, drained of all strength, until all he could do was stand there...or float...Helpless._

 _Voices._

 _Loud._

 _Too many voices._

 _Too loud._

 _It hurt.  
_

 _He could hear each individual voice, but muffled, some clearer than others. A few were soft, and some rocked the very air around him. Words, some in a deep voice that suddenly filled him with guilt, others in a needling whine that filled his heart with fear. All wound together in a cacophony that trembled and pierced and dug into his very soul. None of it made sense. He couldn't feel anything other then the darkness, and the wild beating of his own heart. He wanted to struggle. He wanted to break free...But he could not._

 _Chaos._

 _Confusion._

 _Too much._

 _Pain._

 _Too much._

 _TOO MUCH!_

 _"STOP!"_

* * *

"Phoney! Stop! Stop, it's okay! Stop!"

Phoney jolted back to reality with a gasp. He was drenched in a cold sweat, and shivering so violently that it was making his teeth chatter. It took a moment for his vision to clear, and, for a second, he panicked even more. Someone had a hold of him, holding him in place. Trapping him. It brought the feeling of darkness and terror and pain all flooding back, and he struggled harder. He managed to free his arm from the hold and struck out with a desperate punch, only to swing at empty air. Someone gripped his wrist, preventing him from trying a second time.

"Phoney, for cry'n out loud! Snap _out_ of it!"

His confusion deepened. That was Fone Bone's voice. But what was Fone Bone doing here? In the darkness? In the- All at once, the dizzying blurriness that had blinded his eyes lifted, and the darkness gave way to the artificial light of a bulb in the ceiling. Dim though it was, it was the most beautiful thing he could have imagined at the present time.

He was lying on his back, he realized. And someone had him pinned, a little too roughly, to the floor. Following the pale, white arms that were pressing down on his own, Phoney's gaze shifted to the face of his attacker.

"...F-Fone...F-Fone B-Bone...?" Why was it so gosh darn hard to get that simple name out of his mouth? His teeth were still chattering as he trembled, and the sound of ragged breathing, punctuated with a loud wheeze every now and then, assaulted his ears. It took Phoney a good, long fifteen seconds or so before he realized the dreadful sound was coming from him.

Fone was also breathing heavily. His eyes wide, he was throwing all his weight, which didn't amount to much, into keeping Phoney from thrashing about. Relief flooded him when he saw that Phoney had broken free of...whatever had taken hold of him. Fone didn't like the unfocused gaze, trembling, and heaving chest his cousin was displaying. Behind him, Smiley and Bartleby stood, anxious to help but kept at bay by Fone's command for them to keep back.

Phoney was not one to have nightmares. Oh, he had one from time to time, like anyone might, but it usually only consisted of a bit of whimpering, and maybe a few mumbled words. Never had he been sent into a desperate frenzy of kicking, squirming, and crying out in, what sounded like, pain. Agony. It broke Fone's heart to see it, and even more so as the image burned a permanent residence in his memory. But now, thankfully, Phoney was coming out of it. The frightened and confused eyes were now replaced with ones of recognition. Still frightened, but less than a moment before.

Phoney licked his dry lips, trying to muster the strength to sit up the moment Fone Bone let him. Though, for the moment, he was perfectly content with staying where he was. His muscles ached, and a headache was forming. "...What...W-what happened?"

Fone Bone forced himself to let go of the slightly smaller Bone. Sitting back on his heels, he sent a glance over his shoulder to the other two watching behind him before returning his gaze to Phoney. "Things are a little more...complicated now, Phoney. It seems that whatever's bothering Smiley...has got a hold of you too."

* * *

 **Here we are, another chapter! Whoohoo! Sorry it took me so long, I was away on a camping trip with my family. :)**

 **I just wanted to say that this story takes place in a timeline that does not include "The Quest for the Spark" series. Don't get me wrong, I read them and enjoyed them a lot, but I don't count it as canon for my story. So, there ya are. :)**


	5. Night and Day

Lathan Bone was an average, everyday reporter, though he certainly didn't see himself as such. In his own mind, he was a genius, a once in a lifetime prodigy that anyone would have to be a fool to refuse. Ever since he was no older than five, he had striven and pushed and climbed his way to the top, his dream ahead of him, and nothing able to stand in his way. In school, he had made himself the president of the school paper. But he was also the editor, and often edited out every other student's stories but his own. In college, he had started a News Club, again controlling it to the excessive. In both cases, he soon found himself alone, with no friends and no paper to call his own. He eventually opened up his own business, though, as of yet, he still had no employees. Not that he cared. A reporter didn't need friends. A reporter didn't need supporters, other than their readers. He struggled to share his skill with all, working around the clock as publisher, editor, reporter, and any other job his occupation entailed. He was a one man show.

Or, at least, he had been.

The medium height Bone sat uncomfortably in a stiff, upright position. The high backed chair dwarfed him, as did the enormous office in which he now waited. The air conditioning made it overly chilly, so much so that his skin felt as though it were crawling. His chair was made of black leather, which squeaked loudly whenever he moved, breaking the quiet so obnoxiously that he convinced his body to stay utterly still. It was dark in the room, not only because the heavy drapes were closed over the large city-view windows, but because it was the middle of the night. Not one particle of light could get through those immense curtains. The only source of relief from the dark came from a short, squatty lamp on the great mahogany desk before him. It lit only just enough to see by, and only of that area, where various papers lay strewn upon its surface. The room's towering walls hid the ceiling in total darkness, too high above for the lamplight to reach. The floor was thickly carpeted, seeming to absorb all sound in the chamber, making it uneasily quiet. It was as though the entire room had been created to make a person feel small, alone, and uncomfortable. Which was exactly how Lathan felt.

He jumped when a door to his right opened in the dark wall, causing a stream of pale light to cast through the door and unto the floor, coming toward him in a warped rectangle of yellow glow. Three, various sized Bones entered through, only silhouettes until the door had shut and they had moved forward into the light by the desk. The tallest of the three, an older Bone, elegant and with thick eyebrows, seated himself behind the desk, facing Lathan with a look of contempt, his Councilmen standing on either side of him attentively.

There was a long, uncomfortable silence, in which the elder gazed sternly at the reporter with a calculating air. Finally, when his stare had managed to bore into the visitor's very soul, the Chairman spoke, his voice low and soft, almost a grating rumble in his throat. "You are Lathan Baldwin Bone, correct?" he asked stiffly, shuffling a few papers on the desk without so much as giving him a glance.

Lathan suddenly felt even more uneasy. He didn't even know why he was here. His mind raced frantically, trying to remember if he had done anything wrong. If he had broken any laws, or done something worthy of being summoned by the Council of Upper Boneville. "Y-Yes, Yer Honor." He wasn't even sure how to address these higher uppity-ups. He felt his cheeks redden as the Chairman gave him a look that told him 'Yer Honor' wasn't quite the right term. But the matter, whether important or no, was dropped. The Chairman continued.

"It has been brought to our attention that you are a reporter." He lifted a paper from the stack, adjusting his spectacles to better see the print. His eyes scanned the parchment, before glancing up to receive his answer. "Is that also accurate?"

Lathan smiled proudly, puffing out his small chest. For him, he and his business, unsuccessful though it may be, was his favorite subject. "That's right! The best doggone reporter this side of th-"

"That's all very interesting, Mr. Lathan," the shortest Councilman spoke up, yawning with obvious boredom. Lathan did his best not to visibly sneer. "But we really must stick with the point."

Lathan frowned, annoyed. "And, if you'll enlighten me, what _is_ the point?" He internally flinched when he realized how disrespectful that had sounded. But he wasn't about to apologize. Not to these guys. Not to _anyone_. He had said what he had intended to say, and he would stick to it. He almost lost his resolve when the Chairman launched himself out of his seat, leaning sternly against the desk, all in a very fluid movement, and his hands braced on its dark surface.

"The _point_ , Mr. Lathan," he spat, "Is the Bone Cousins." He watched as a look of interest spread into the young reporter's expression. The taller Bone gave a half smile, not in a terribly pleasant way, happy that he had finally gained the shorter fellow's full attention. "You've heard of them?"

"Heard of them?" Lathan cried. His eyes were wide, and he had scooted forward in his chair with great passion. "They're the greatest source of media material Boneville's had in _years_!" He paused, giving the Chairman a suddenly suspicious look. "What's that got to do with me?" He didn't like the gleam that was forming in the other fellow's dark eyes. He couldn't place it. Lathan was pretty sure it wasn't directed at him, and of that he was grateful. Whoever it was for would be in for a very unpleasant surprise. That calm and collected facade was only a thin layer over something more...dangerous. Lathan could sense it. He had always been a very good judge of character.

The taller, more intimidating Bone folded his hands behind his back, reigning in that sinister gleam. "First, tell me what you know of these cousins. What do you, in your job as a reporter, have in knowledge of their backgrounds and life?" He slowly came out from behind the desk, making his way around it and closer to Lathan as the reporter began his answer, confused and hesitant.

"Uh, well, we know they were orphans," he began, scratching the bad of his neck, a hint of sympathy in his voice. "Parents died when they were very young. Which, if you think of it, is quite odd. They're cousins, and the likelihood of all three of them being orphaned, at relatively the same time, is either a miraculous form of fate or a cursing wave of misfortune." He had always thought so. What were the odds?

The Chairman seemed less impressed by the coincidence. "Go on."

Lathan settled back in his chair, folding his hands in his lap with a slight hum."Hmm, yes. They lived on the streets for years, scraping food where they could get it. Pinching pies from windowsills and such. As they grew, Phoncible P. Bone began to exercise his natural skill for business. He started working, and earning a pay. Smiley Bone, in contrast, seemed to enjoy his life as a tramp. He was a friend to all, but never worked, often living off of Phoney's pay when he could get it. On some occasions, Phoney allowed his cousin to partner up with him in his schemes. Fone Bone, on the other hand, was somewhere in between, working when he needed to, and well liked by all. Considered a right fine gentleman by most. None of the three a particularly bad sort."

The Chairman released a huff, exchanging a haughty glance with his Councilmen."You might also find interesting, Mr. Lathan, that Phoncible P. Bone, for years, tried to get into this council as a member. Most persistently. He was not well liked here, in any way, shape, or form."

Lathan blinked, interested. "Is that so? Well, what do you know about that. I take it he didn't make it in."

The three Council Bones gave wry chuckles. "He was working on it," the Chairman informed him, "And, given the circumstances, he might have succeeded. If not for his 'election scheme'."

"Ah, yes. His crazy idea of becoming mayor. 'Phoncible P. Bone will get your vote', if I recall correctly."

The smile faded from the elder's face. "You do." His voice was bitter and hateful. Again, Lathan found he was grateful that he was not on the opposite end of these feelings. "Tell us, Mr. Lathan, a little more on this horrendous event."

Lathan was going on second hand information now. He had never met any of the cousins personally, and hadn't gone to Phoncible's picnic/campaign that day. Thank goodness for that. He had heard stories of the result of the bad prune danishes that had been served there. "Well, Phoncible tried to run for mayor, hoping to win a powerful position in our community. He might have succeeded, if not for an incident with a large, inflatable balloon of himself. It's actually quite funny." Lathan chuckled, but the merriment died on his lips when he looked up into the solemn faces of the Council.

"Hmm," the Chairman looked far from pleased. "I would not call the schemes of that Bone 'funny'. He has been a thorn in our side for years. We have long since had our fill of his nonsense." That gleam was back, and Lathan realized that a certain amount of hostility existed between the Council and Phoncible. He vaguely wondered if the craftier Bone Cousin was aware of that fact.

"Y-Yes, Sir."

The Chairman came even closer. "Now tell us something of their current fame, Mr. Lathan."

"They disappeared for almost two years, run out of Boneville into the desert after the...incident." He paused, hoping that he would not be corrected again. He wasn't, and continued. "Then, all at once, they show back up, on a cart pulled by a cow of all things. A strange animal accompanied them, and still lives with them like some kind of pet. They claim to have been on an adventure in a land across the wasteland, called the Valley, where they helped save its people and, possibly, all the world." He couldn't help the scoff in his voice. As interested as he had been in this story, he had never put any stock in it.

"And what do you think of this statement?"

Lathan shrugged carelessly. "I think it's just a bunch of hooey, personally. Either for attention or to cover up something else. Facts show that there is nothing beyond the desert to support what they said. Nothing but trees, and no sign of life. No great, ancient cities; no dragons; no nothing."

For the first time since their appearance, the Chairman and the Councilmen looked very pleased. "Good. Very good. We would hate to have hired a man who sympathizes with these _menaces_." His eyes gleamed dangerously.

"Hire?"

The Chairman broke off to go back to his seat behind the desk, lowering into it slowly before steepling his hands upon the desktop."Yes, hire. Mr. Lathan, we have reason to believe that these Bone Cousins are a _threat_ to our society. Their stories and strange ideas have created a great controversy in our city. Trouble seems to follow them wherever they go...And that's what we want you to do."

"Do what?"

"Follow them," the Chairman clarified. "Everywhere. Consider this your greatest opportunity in being a reporter. It's not everyday that someone is given lawful permission to investigate such an important, sought after bit of news. It would be foolish to refuse." He read the hesitation in Lathan's eyes. "You can have all the publicity to yourself," he prompted, "As long as everything you observe is reported to us _first_."

"Wait..." Lathan held up his hands in a 'slow down' gesture. "You want me to _spy_? Is that...you know, legal?"

The Chairman stiffened. "We are the highest form of government in Boneville. We will _make_ it legal."

"Heh, I guess that wouldn't be too bad." Lathan rubbed the back of his neck, trying to think it over. He raised an eyebrow at the three Bones. "Full publicity, right?"

"The fullest."

That would certainly help his business. Probably make him the most known reporter in Boneville, once everything was well and over. It couldn't hurt. If things proved too boring with the Cousins, he could always 'polish' it up a bit. No one would be the wiser. Slowly, Lathan gave a deciding nod of his head. "Well, alright." It certainly couldn't hurt. "When do I start?"

"Immediately."

Lathan shook hands with the Councilmen and the Chairman, still feeling oddly betraying. But he pushed those thoughts aside. This was his chance to be what he had always craved and striven to be. He couldn't give that up for a couple of goody-two-shoe morals. He _wouldn't_ give it up.

"Yes, Sir. I'll get right on it. Thank you, Sir."

* * *

Dawn broke over Boneville, immersing its city in the darkness of a chilly, rainy morning. Drops pattered on the rooftops, chinking of the metal piping, and rolling down the glass panes of hundreds of windows. The smell of wet pavement wafted in the air, along with the sounds of an awaking culture. Horns blared on the busy streets, jolting every sleeping soul awake.

Except three, who were _already_ wide awake.

Fone Bone sat on the worn, fabric couch, a cousin on either side of him. Smiley and Phoney had latched onto him during the long, sleepless night, and he had not pushed either of them away. Smiley, thankfully, had managed to fall into an uneasy slumber; too exhausted to stay awake any longer. Phoney, on the other hand, was still badly shaken from his nightmare. Fone had tried to calm him down, get him to talk about it, but Phoney had locked up like a hinged box. He refused to discuss it, and yet his grip on Fone Bone's arm was tight, as if he were afraid that, if he let go, Fone Bone would fade away forever. His eyes flitted about, as though, at any moment, he expected to be confronted with his own, deepest fears. It was an unnerving situation, pulling Fone's two relatives so far from their usual characters. Smiley was _always_ with it. He was _always_ happy, and...well, Smiley. And Phoney was always so untouchable. He believed he was capable of taking care of himself, as well as taking care of them all. To see him like this, pressing into Fone's side, seemed...wrong.

Bartleby watched from the side of the couch, noticing the foul weather outside with a hissing sigh. He could sense the tension in the room, and wished with all his might to relieve it. It was cold for a summer morning, and he detected that the three Bones had begun to shiver from the chill in the apartment, even though he couldn't feel it himself through his thick fur. Racing from the living room, the rat creature returned with a few blankets from the bedrooms. Fone Bone accepted them gratefully.

"Thanks, Bartleby."

He spread the woolen cloth over his closest relatives, making sure they were well covered. He needn't have bothered. Barely had he completed the task, than a huge clap of thunder nearly shook the building to its core. All three of the Bones leaped to their feet, eyes wide and breath catching as they stood, ready and waiting, to defend themselves against whatever may appear. Hearts racing, it felt as though all the world were out to get them.

"It's just thunder," Fone Bone soothed gently, taking hold of Smiley's wrist, trying to convince himself that everything truly was alright. He was surprised at the speed at which his cousin's pulse beat beneath his fingers. "It can't hurt us." He turned to Phoney next, expecting him to be his usual self and deny the fact that he had been startled. But Phoney did nothing of the kind.

"This n-needs to stop," Phoney stuttered, his shaking voice making him seem terribly vulnerable. "We can't j-just stay in here, hiding."

Fone Bone agreed. The fears of last night had faded to him somewhat, and he wasn't sure if it hadn't all been just some really odd, disturbing dream. But they couldn't have shared a nightmare. It _had_ happened. And no manner of thinking it through logically could change it. Bartleby moved up to stand beside Smiley, allowing the Bone to lean against him slightly. It seemed to be the only thing that eased Smiley's anxiety. Fone left the rat creature to handle the taller cousin, turning his attention fully to Phoney. "It's morning now. Things might seem a little clearer now. We can talk."

"What is there to talk about?!" Phoney cried out, his voice slightly strained. His nerves were still on edge, and Fone Bone wasn't quite sure how to help him. "We're all going nuts!"

Fone grabbed a hold of his shoulders, giving the slightly smaller Bone a shake before looking him straight in the eyes. Phoney's gaze was unfocused, and filled with exhaustion. No sleep had given these eyes a rest for many long hours. "We're not going nuts, Phoney! For goodness sake, why would you say something like that?" He frowned even more when Phoney shook his hands off from his shoulders, and stepped back a few paces.

"Because what we're thinking can't be true!" He cringed, his expression changing again from one of anger to one of fear. His tone became almost pleading, as though he wanted Fone to tell him everything was going to be fine, even though he knew it would not. "Fone Bone, the Lord of the Locust is _defeated_. He's _dead_. He can't hurt anyone anymore...And yet, last night..." He shivered, closing his eyes tightly, images and emotions from his dream still haunting him. Hurting him. "It...It just doesn't make sense!"

Fone resisted the urge to gently take hold of his cousin once more, knowing that Phoney had already made it clear that he didn't want to be touched. He just wanted to be reassured, and that was something that, even if he wasn't sure of it himself, Fone Bone was willing to give. "It's alright," he said soothingly. "It's alright. Here, let's have some breakfast and calm down. We'll talk more about it when we all feel a little less..."

"Crazy? Hysterical?" Phoney spat the words out aggressively, all at once angry again.

Fone gave him a look. "Tense."

Despite the gloomy and frightened atmosphere that seemed to have made permanent residence in their apartment, Fone Bone refused to let it bother him, nor deter him from trying to cheer up his cousins. He went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, keeping one eye always watching Smiley and Phoney. Fone was glad to have Bartleby with them, seeing as it made the whole situation easier. It helped Smiley too, who slowly started to recover from their sleepless night. Even in his solemn state, he still glowed with his usual personality, dull as it was at the moment. Soon, he was helping Fone Bone mix up some scrambled eggs. Phoney moved into the kitchen as well, still slightly out of it. He kept staring into space, as though he could see something they couldn't. But Fone refused to let Phoney sink lower into what ever this was, and assigned him by the toaster to darken some slices of bread. It worked, and soon Phoney was preoccupied in making sure the toast didn't burn.

Fone Bone became more of the supervisor, ensuring that both his cousins were working, getting both their minds off of the events of the night before. Soon the smell of eggs sizzled and tugged at their prominent noses. The warmth from the stove seemed to sap away the cold darkness that still tried to grip their hearts. But it began to melt under the cheer of kitchen lights and the aroma of a home cooked meal. Though the world outside of the building was wet and dreary, inside was slowly becoming far less so.

Soon, breakfast was finished and the Cousins sat down to their meal. Though, as much fun as it had been to make, did little to entice the appetite once it was in front of them. Fone Bone, who, honestly, wasn't hungry in the least, had been planning to eat anyway. But he stopped short when he saw that neither Phoney nor Smiley had taken a bite.

"Aw, come on, guys..." he pushed gently, picking up his own fork with a scrap of egg balancing on its prongs. "You must be hungry. Phoney, I haven't seen you eat more than a bite since yesterday. Come on."

Phoney gazed down at the meal sadly. "I'm not really all that hungry." He pushed the plate away from himself with a tinge of regret.

Smiley did the same. "Me neither."

Fone Bone looked back down at his own plate, allowing his fork to slowly lower back to his food. The gloom that he had dispelled had now returned with a thicker depression than before. "A-Alright." He tried not to sound shaken. "That's OK. I'll save it for later when you are." But then he remembered that cold eggs weren't any good, even when re-heated, and so he slid the contents of their platters into Bartleby's bowl. The rat creature didn't seem half as excited as he usually was, but still bent to the task of eating the leftovers dutifully.

The Bones all sat in silence, staring at the stained wood of the tabletop, as if all the answers might be found there. Each was left with his own, dark thoughts. The only sound was of the rain hitting the roof, and an occasional rumble of far off thunder. They might have stayed that way all morning, if not at that particular moment there were several, loud knocks upon the outside of the apartment door. The cousins stiffened, looking up frightfully, and half standing from their chairs. Smiley and Phoney looked just about ready to bolt, but somehow managed to stay calm enough to keep from doing so. Or maybe they were just scared stiff. Fone Bone looked from the door and back to his cousins, motioning soothingly for them to sit back down. They did so, but only partially, braced for whatever stood beyond their sight. Fone Bone got to his feet, walking to the door just as their visitor knocked again. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door.

There stood a young, thin Bone, a postman by the looks of him, looking quite impatient. In his hands he held a letter, crisp and new. "Mr. Fone Bone?"

Fone Bone felt too relieved to be curious yet. "Yes?"

The postman held out the envelope to him, stiffly. It was a manner that the cousins had gotten quite used to since their return from the Valley. Just by watching him, Fone Bone could see where the boy stood in relation to their stories. He didn't believe them. In fact, he seemed a little leery of them. "Letter for you, Sir," he intoned, very business-like. "Signed urgent."

Fone took it, bringing it up to his face for closer inspection. "Urgent? What could be so urgent to come so early in the morning?"

The postman stood at stiff attention, every muscle just as ready to run as Phoney and Smiley had been. "I wouldn't know, Sir." He held out an empty hand, clearly expecting something to be given to him.

Fone Bone blinked, unsure, at first, what he wanted. "Oh," he gasped slightly, rummaging in a wallet that resided by the door. He pulled out four coins, checking and finding two to be some of Phoney's false coins from the Valley. They held no value in Boneville, just as they had held no value in Atheia. Fone Bone quickly put them back, handing the few quarters that he had found out to the postman. "Right. Sorry. Here you go."

"Thank you, Sir," was the hurried reply. And then the lad was gone, having performed his task. Fone didn't give the boy a second thought, instead closing the door as he stared at the letter, turning it forward and back in an attempt to figure out who it was from. It held little information, other than their address. The only other thing on its surface was a stamp. Tearing the top of the envelope, he freed the letter and held it up to the light.

Smiley's curiosity got the better of him. "What is it?"

Fone frowned as his eyes moved back and forth over the writing. He didn't seem at all pleased. "It's another call for Phoney and I to go before the Council."

"Again?!" Phoney exclaimed, his face becoming slightly panicked. He did not feel ready to face those Bones again, especially after last night. "W-When?"

"As soon as possible." Fone Bone sighed. "I tell you, Phoney, if they ask me so much as one more question about the Valley, I'm gonna...gonna...I suppose it's against the law to punch out a Chairman, huh?"

Phoney gave a nervous chuckle, forcing himself to stay calm. "F-Fone Bone, I really don't want to go back there."

Fone gave his cousin an apologetic look. He hated this just as much as Phoney did. He hated being questioned and re-questioned, as if their word wasn't good enough for their own people. Fone hated how prying the inquires could get. And he especially hated when they attacked Phoney directly. The shortest Bone seemed to be their favorite target. Probably had something to do with the fact that Phoney had once striven to be like the Council. The Council had been at Phoney's 'election' and had been subjected to the chaos that had ensued there. Fone Bone couldn't blame Phoney for being reluctant to go. Yesterday he had been angry, but now Phoney seemed frightened to face them. "I know, Phoney. But they're the government here, and as much as we hate it, we have to obey. As long as it's just asking questions and they're not doing any real harm."

Phoney nodded, averting his eyes, trying to act like he didn't care now either way. His eyes settled on their taller cousin. "What about Smiley?"

"The, um, letter didn't say anything about him coming. Again." Fone Bone looked up from the now crinkled paper. "I'm sorry, Smiley."

The tall Bone shrugged. "That's just fine by me. I'd rather stay here than go before the Council. I guess they don't count me as much of a threat." He chuckled, but the sense of hurt was still there. It was odd. He didn't want to go, but anything would have been better than being ignored. No one ever remembered Smiley.

"That's just because they don't know you," Fone Bone huffed, resisting the urge to crumble the letter up in contempt. "They don't know the amazing things you've done." His spirits dropped further. "That we've all done." He shook his head with a sigh. To their own home and people, they were considered liars. There was no use fighting it. "You sure you'll be alright staying here, Smiley?" he asked, gathering a few things that he might need for the visit with the Council.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Besides, it's daytime. It's...It's safer during the daytime. You know?" He hesitated, stroking Bartleby's purple fur. "Bartleby will be here with me. We'll watch some cartoons together or something. Right, buddy?"

The rat creature grinned, showing every one of his razor sharp teeth. " _Right, Smiley!_ "

Fone Bone nodded, leading the way out the door with Phoney reluctantly following. "Alright...As long as you're sure."

"I'm sure."

"Okay...We should be back by later this afternoon."

With that, the door closed, leaving Smiley standing on the kitchen tiles with Bartleby beside them. Something didn't feel right about all this, but Smiley had held his tongue. He would be fine. Of course he would. But that didn't stop him from being cautious. He moved forward, firmly locking the door, then moved on to every window in the apartment, locking them securely. Bartleby followed in curious worry. Finally, when all avenues of entree had been eradicated, Smiley returned to the living room. He stood a moment, surveying his work, before he sat down on the sofa, turning on the television and patting beside him for his friend to join him.

"Come on, Bartleby. Let's see what's on."

* * *

 **There we go, sorry it took so long. I finally came up with the entire story for this. I didn't quite know where I was going with it until now. Now I'm REALLY excited! ;)**


	6. The Call

Thorn slipped silently into the edge of Tanen Gard, alert and filled with a tingling sense of nervousness. She had not entered this realm since she and Fone Bone had touched the Crown of Horns, which felt like ages ago. She hadn't wanted to go back, the memories being frightening, turning her stomach with unease. But, now, as she approached, that uneasiness grew to an almost palpable panic. She knew better than to enter the actual structure, but she had been granted permission by the Great Red Dragon that, should she ever need him, she could go as far into Tanen Gard as the very entrance. The queen edged forward, eyes wide as a feeling of darkness crowded in on her from all sides.

Tanen Gard was always like that; dark and dirty, filled with the smell of brimstone. It wasn't a pleasant place, which was good, in a way, because it discouraged people from going there. The Council of Dragons liked their privacy and seclusion from the human race, as well as any other race. They were the protectors of the Valley, and for that Thorn was grateful, but she couldn't help wishing that they were a little more visibly active. Sometimes it felt as though they waited until the very last moment to throw in their hand, letting the other inhabitants of the Valley deal with their troubles until they had no choice but to interfere. All except the Great Red Dragon. He seemed to hold a greater understanding and compassion to non-dragons than others of his kind. Even going so far as to go against some of them in an attempt to help, especially during the days past, when the Valley had been under threat of the Lord of the Locust.

Coming to the base of the entrance, Thorn came to a halt, standing as the the slightest sound would send her sprinting. She was a brave girl, and had faced many dangers. But this was something she could only feel. Could only just barely sense. From the folds of her royal attire, she pulled out a small offering of fruit, brought at the suggestion of Gran'ma Ben. She set the pile down by the opened maw of the cave, glancing toward it nervously. She hadn't needed any help from the dragons since the Great Battle, and she felt as though she might be disturbing them. But this was important. That feeling of darkness and evil was becoming stronger. In fact, here in Tanen Gard, it seemed strongest. Thorn bowed slightly, holding two fingers to the bridge of her nose in the typical Veni Yen gesture, trying to both sense the presence of her protector and trying to call him out. But, to her surprise, she didn't sense anything at all. There was no emotion in the world below her. No presence other than darkness. A sort of deathly stillness resided in the dragon lair.

Then something stirred.

But it wasn't a dragon.

Thorn gasped as something seemed to lurch forward at her in her mind. It held no form, nothing she could see. It was simply a shadow, with no structure or substance. It ran at her mind, and she mentally staggered back. It felt as though she were trying to pull herself out of tar. She struggled, sensing the evil almost upon her. With a cry, she managed to jerk her fingers away from her face, stumbling back and nearly falling, her chest heaving from the effort. All that loomed before her was the empty entrance to the cave, and total darkness beyond it. Eyes wide and frightened, Thorn turned and ran for her horse, which she had left on the outskirts of the Gard, leaping up into the saddle without hardly even using the stirrups. She grabbed the reins, sending one, final glance into Tanen Gard with a look of true, unbridled fear. Then, with a jolt, urged her beast to flee back to Atheia.

There would be no help from the dragons in Tanen Gard.

For something else now resided there.

* * *

The mind is a fascinating thing, capable of so many functions. It contains our thoughts, hopes, fears, emotions, and, in essence, our very soul. It can make decisions, calculate equations, create symphonies, understand various concepts, and dream of the future in amazing depiction. The mind can do all these things, and yet, no one will quite understand the many twists and turns of how it works. And maybe that's a good thing, for who would want to take all the mystery out of life? Not knowing, and the strive to learn, is part of what adds many of the joys of life. But no one ever said it was always a helpful thing. The mind can also prove very difficult. It is stubborn, prone to getting off track and latching onto whatever subject catches its fancy. And that was something Smiley Bone was finding to be very disconcerting.

Smiley sat, slouched on the sofa, remote in hand, flipping through the various channels with a dulled expression pasted on his face. But that expression was turning into one of hopeless annoyance. The lighting of the room changed colors with each push of the button, the television displaying every show, commercial, and news broadcast Boneville had to offer. Smiley had pulled the blinds down, keeping the living room in darkness. Which was odd. One would have thought, after all that had been happening, he would have wanted what little light of day existed to shine through, but he didn't. The depressive atmosphere matched his depressive mood. There was absolutely nothing on the television that he wished to see. And anything he _had_ wanted to watch had turned out to be too painful to _keep_ watching.

The mind is a fascinating thing, but in this case, Smiley believed he would have been better off without one at all. Every channel; every show, reminded him, in some way, shape, or form, of the Valley. Whether it be something someone said in a cartoon, the way a flower swayed in the breeze, or just the beauty in the scenery of a movie, his mind would keep wandering back to that magical place across the desert. Yes, 'magical' was a good word for it. Nothing like Smiley and his cousins had experienced in the Valley ever happened in Boneville. There were no talking animals and strange, unusual creatures and dragons. There were no princesses, or cow races, or battles. There were no adventures; no treasures. No anything. And Smiley, though he might have been slow to admit it, missed all those things terribly. He missed the friends they had made. He missed the dangers and trials, that had forced his character to grow from a village idiot to a truly developed individual. He was reminded daily of that life, and he often wondered what would have happened to him had he not undergone such a transformation. Now he felt stagnant. Unwanted.

Society certainly didn't want him. Even their enemies didn't think him worthy of their time. Not that the Council was an enemy, necessarily, but they certainly weren't friends. He felt tossed aside; ignored, and, though that might have been a blessing in several ways, it still left him feeling hurt. He wanted to be a part of something, like he had been in the Valley. Sure, he had never played a role in the great span of things as Thorn had, or Gran'ma Ben, or even Lucius, but he _had_ been a part of the outcome. There were things he had done that had mattered. But now...

Smiley let a soft sigh escape him, shifting his gaze to the rat creature at his side. Bartleby was the only one who took any notice of him; or, at least, that's how it felt sometimes. The purple furred animal was by his side constantly, and for that he was grateful. He had always been a bit of a loner, not by choice, but by habit. He had never had any true friends before Bartleby, and that made their friendship very special. Likewise, Bartleby had had no friends before Smiley, and so returned the Bone's friendship strongly. Smiley's mind wandered back to the Valley, a longing to return suddenly developing into an itching need. He couldn't seem to stifle it this time, as it suddenly seemed to consume him.

Bartleby relaxed upon the cushions of the sofa. He was rather large for it, making it bow beneath his weight and size. He would have been more comfortable if he had stretched out more, but that was something he had refrained from doing. He wanted Smiley to be with him on the couch, and the only way there was room for them both was for the rat creature to curl up in as tight a ball as he could manage. He looked more like a great furry lump, rather than anything even closely resembling a living, breathing being. But he was content, if not fully comfortable, and, besides, at the moment, he was far more focused on keeping a watchful eye on Smiley.

The tallest Bone cousin was acting distinctly agitated, and Bartleby found he could sense Smiley's frustration quite strongly. It was almost overpowering the emotions that came off of the three Bones sometimes. Rat creatures, like most animals, had very heightened instincts when it came to reading others feelings. Just like a horse can detect when a person is nervous, or a dog might bark at an unfriendly stranger, Bartleby could feel Smiley's anguished confusion, and hurt. It filled the rat creature with worry and uncertainty. He wanted to help, but knew not how to do so. And so he sat quietly, offering his closest friend the simple comfort of having someone near during troubling times. It was the least he could do. Smiley had saved his life more than once, back when he was nothing but a cub. Now, Bartleby was far larger, and there were few things in the world that he had to fear of harming him. But he had become increasingly aware of just how many dangers were still able to touch his friends, who now were so much smaller than he himself. In Boneville, there might not be evil spirits or hostile hoards of teeth baring creatures, but the persecution of their fellow Bones could be just as harmful. Bartleby had seen the way the media had effected his friends, and it only made him wish harder that there was something he could do.

The sofa cushions shifted suddenly, and Bartleby looked up, his thoughts interrupted. He gazed in curiosity as Smiley rose stiffly to his feet, standing in the middle of the room, absolutely still. He seemed tense. _Very_ tense. Bartleby felt the fur on the back of his neck raise warningly, telling him that something wasn't quite right. He uncurled his long limbs from beneath him, half sitting up in worry. " _Smiley? Are you alright?_ "

The Bone didn't answer at first, remaining perfectly motionless. A conflict seemed to be taking place inside of him, for, after a moment, he took a shaky step forward, and them pulled back, as if quite reluctant. The battle, whatever it might have been, didn't last long. With a sudden jolt, Smiley walked swiftly out of the living room and into the kitchen. Bartleby launched himself from the couch and followed, catching up just as Smiley grabbed the doorknob that would lead him outside of the apartment.

Bartleby didn't like the looks of him. Bones were white as a rule, but they could still visibly pale, which Smiley more than qualified at the moment. His dark eyes, staring straight ahead as though in a trance, stood out in contrast to his pallid skin. His breathing was low, but irregular, as though in discomfort. Bartleby was thoroughly disturbed by this point. Reaching out a clawed paw, the rat creature lay it on the door, preventing Smiley from opening it. " _Smiley, where are you going?!_ " Bartleby's voice was high-pitched in alarm.

Smiley paused, as if fighting a doubt in his own mind that was trying to take hold. But, again, he seemed to lose. "I'm going back to the Valley." His voice was toneless, emotionless; simply a stated fact.

Bartleby blinked his large eyes, a panic welling up within him. _"But...Fone Bone will expect us here! If we leave, he won't be able to find us! We told him we would stay!"_

Slowly, Smiley shook his head, disagreeing. He lightly forced Bartleby's hand off the frame, giving him access to open the door. Bartleby flitted his gaze between the hall and his friend, hoping that Fone Bone and Phoney would return and stop this...whatever it was. The rat creature knew he had the strength to do so himself; all he'd have to do was grab Smiley and drag him back inside, but he didn't have the heart. Smiley had been so undriven of late, it was almost good to see some sort of determination in his face. Even if that nearly blank expression was hauntingly unsettling. And the fact that Smiley was willing to leave his cousins behind was equally worrisome.

 _"What about Phoney and Fone Bone?!"_

Smiley stepped out into the hall, not even bothering to shut the door as he left. His mind was set feverishly on one, solitary subject. His toneless voice gave Bartleby a confident answer. "They'll follow me." He didn't even blink. He was a soulless being, and yet Bartleby could still see a glimpse of Smiley through it, something about the eyes, the way they shone as they always did. There was simply something suppressing it.

Bartleby tried to weigh his options, knowing that nothing short of holding Smiley back would stop him. He considered running to find the other two cousins, but he had no idea where the Council resided, and the time it would take to find it would prove to be a problem. He didn't want to lose sight of Smiley, afraid of what might happen if he wasn't there to watch him. And so, reluctantly, Bartleby followed his friend closely, and silently. He left the door to the apartment open purposefully, hoping that Fone Bone would be able to figure out that something was wrong and where they had gone. It was a long shot, but he just couldn't see any other way. It wasn't like he could leave a note. Though Smiley was trying his best to teach the rat creature to read and write, the taller Bone was only partially proficient in those skills himself, and so they really hadn't made any progress. That left following as the only choice Bartleby had left open to him. And he took it.

The two left the apartment building, stepping out onto the saturated sidewalk. It was still drizzling, rain coming down in a light, soaking mist. It caught in Bartleby's fur, giving him an almost sugar-coated look. A cold breeze blew down the street, chilly, it being the tail end of summer. It made the rat creature shiver, even with all his protective fur. Smiley, however, seemed utterly unaffected. He turned and headed to the left, walking stiffly and determinedly down the street, Bartleby at his heels.

The town was virtually empty, all those who had needed to leave their homes for work already having done so. For that Bartleby was glad. He knew how much Smiley hated to be stared at, and this ensured that they could traverse Boneville in peace. Then again, it meant that no one would witness their departure. The rat creature was at a loss as to what he should do. The only thing he was certain of was that he needed to stick to Smiley like glue. And so he did.

Boneville was a very modern city, determined to keep up with the technologies of the time. Nestled beside the sea, it held ports and causeways that stretched north, facing the endless waters; a place of trade and commerce. Tall buildings, some made mostly out of glass paneling, often caught the glow of the watery sunsets, casting the light all around the city just before night would fall. Architecture was a huge field, expanded upon every year by the various artists that arose within the city itself. The smell of the sea cleared away most of the smog, though the air was nothing as clear as that which flowed in the Valley. Like a patched quilt, small parks filled with trees and grass dotted the busy landscape; islands of nature in an ocean of cement and Bone-made structures. The network of buildings were tight, the roads narrow and cramped. Bones were not known for their expansion. Ever since Big Johnson Bone had established it, Boneville had grown in a clustered fashion, never going far from its starting point. Travelers were practically nonexistent; Bones preferring to stay put than expand any effort or risk into exploration. Which was another thing that set the Bone Cousins apart. They had traveled, and that was not received well by most.

Stretching to the south, huddled up close to the south end of Boneville, was the desert. It seemed so out of place, so close to the sea, but it was there, a great plain of hot, sandy hills and valleys. It effectively sandwiched Boneville between it and the great expanse of water, isolating it from the rest of the world. It was a place of growth and learning, but only within itself. Which meant that it was suspicious and hesitant of the lands beyond it on all sides. If any other even existed.

Smiley navigated the streets with a determined stride, leaving the sea at his back. Before too long, the Bone and the rat creature found themselves on the very brink of the desert. Again, Smiley paused, seeming to be trying to resist the urge to continue on. But again, the urge proved too strong. With a stumbling lurch, he stepped out into the desert.

And Bartleby, nervous and worried, followed.

* * *

Phoney fidgeted uneasily, his stomach turning in the throws of his shattered nerves. He had never felt this way before, not when he stood before the Council. He usually felt angry, or even a bit rebellious, but this was all out terror. He felt unbalanced since the nightmare the night before, and his mind was still turning in circles, afraid of being cornered and suffocated, like in his dream. Pained and hurt. He looked about him, taking in the Great Hall of the Council of Upper Boneville. It was built much like any court, greatly decorated and ornate in its furnishings. Jury-like boxes rose on either side, sandwiching the cold, tiled floor between them, where Fone Bone and Phoney now stood. Before them was a high, dark table, with seven chairs behind it, each one filled with a single, frowning Councilman. But the middle chair, whose back was far taller, and carved with various designs, was occupied by no one else but the Great Chairman himself. He was glaring down at them, as he always did, his eyes resting on them with contempt and anger. It had never bothered Phoney before. But, for some reason, now it did.

To the side, out of the way and at a table all his own, Lathan Bone sat taking notes. He knew he wouldn't be conspicuous, seeing as it was normal to have a reporter at such meetings, but, all the same, he made sure to keep as quiet as possible. No sense calling attention to himself. He watched the two Bone cousins carefully, trying to gauge the depth of his subjects. He took in Fone Bone first, for whom Lathan held a small hint of respect. The fellow was standing there, a look of defiance on his face, ready to defend himself and his cause if need be. His eyes held a look that Lathan was unfamiliar with; a sort of strength and understanding that the reporter couldn't help but think he himself was missing. Fone Bone appeared wise, and somewhat weathered; not physically, but just in the way he stood before them. Like a sailor who has traversed the dangers of the sea until it no longer phased him to be faced with its wrath. Fone Bone was used to this treatment, but it was more than that. It was a strength in character that Lathan hadn't heard about from the media. In fact, Fone Bone wasn't what the media portrayed him as at all.

And then there was Phoncible P. Bone. Lathan had always heard he was gruff, and rude, a bit ill-tempered and a _lot_ of trouble. Going by what the Chairman had said, of the three Bone Cousins, he was the most 'dangerous to society'. But as Lathan watched from his secluded spot, he couldn't help noticing how very unlike that description this Bone before him was. Phoncible looked nervous, afraid even, of what was going on around him. He didn't seem nearly as steady as Fone Bone, but he still stood as firmly as he could, which was slightly commendable. It couldn't be easy to stand before the most powerful Bones in Boneville, especially when there was so much hostility directed at you from them. Lathan jotted down a few notes on each, before turning his attention more to the discussion at hand.

The Chairman was seated stiffly, that odd gleam shining forth more fiercely than ever. He leaned forward slightly, fingers steepled in front of him, eyeing their two visitors sternly. "The Council recognizes Fone and Phoncible Bone. Before we begin, have you anything to say?" His tone showed that his words were based more on formality than his wish to hear anything from the cousins. He would rather have condemned them and locked them up right then and there.

Fone Bone crossed his arms over his chest, a deep frown lowering his brow. "Yes, I think we do. Why have you asked us here _again_? We went through all of this yesterday, and all of last week! We've told you what we know, now leave us be!"

Lathan winced, sending a glance in the Chairman's direction. No one ever spoke to the Council like that; especially the Chairman. Lathan watched as the gleam intensified, but, somehow, the great leader managed to hold in the fury that was so obviously coursing through him. "We shall not 'leave you be'," he intoned darkly, "until we know that we have obtained the truth." He glared, locking eyes with Fone Bone directly. Fone Bone returned it steadily, his stance and expression unmoved.

"We are _telling_ you the truth!" he cried in frustration. "It's not our fault that you don't believe it!"

The face of the Chairman hardened. He sat back in his seat, making it obvious that he would not be swayed by Fone's words. Fone Bone's defiance was getting under his skin, but he would hide it under his own mask of cold contempt. In his position in the city, he could not risk his true feelings to show. How he hated these pathetic Bone Cousins. They had taken up so much of the Council's time. So much of _his_ time. They had stolen so much attention, diverting the people of Boneville away from the important things that the Council had striven so hard to set in motion. Confused the minds of the young. Put silly notions in their heads about adventures and fantasy lands across the desert. "We cannot accept your answer. You are hiding something from us, and the unknown is dangerous. _You_ are dangerous, and you are betraying your people in that you refuse to explain what really happened."

Fone Bone's eyes widened, hurt registering in them. He was as loyal as any other Bone, and to be accused of anything else was literally painful. It made him feel sick inside; weak in the knees. With a sigh, he looked down at the floor, for perhaps the first time feeling properly chastened. "Chairman, if there was some other answer, I'd give it. But there isn't. We were gone in a Valley, located beyond the desert. We fought in a battle to liberate the Valley from a dark lord, who might have destroyed everything had he not been stopped. Even Boneville would not have escaped his power."

"Oh, so now you try to make yourselves out to be our saviors!" a councilman shouted out, which was greeted with much agreement and soft, angry whispers.

Fone blinked, shaking his head with a hint of desperation. "That's not what I-"

"You and your cousins have always been trouble," the Chairman interrupted, sneering in a manner that made Fone feel very uneasy. "Ever since you were young, pinching pies off of windowsills." The Boneville leader noticed Phoney flinch at those words, almost curling in on himself. "Ah, I see that has struck a nerve. Tell us, Phoncible P. Bone, how do you expect us to believe the words of the most hated individual in Boneville?" He leaned forward expectantly, hateful eyes boring into the smallest cousin.

Phoney startled at being addressed directly. He had lost track of most of the conversation, other than the more recent sentences. He was terribly unfocused still, almost dizzy. He looked up at the Council, glancing about at those who sat on either side of them. He was truly at a loss as to how he should answer. No witty comeback came to mind, his usual jibes lost in a swirl of mounting confusion. He kept having images flash before his mind's eye; images of the Valley. Of a darkness he didn't understand. Finally, in answer, he shrugged weakly. "I don't."

The Chairman's eyes narrowed. "We want to know where you were. What you were doing. Who you were with. If you don't tell us, we shall find out by other means."

Lathan paused in his note-taking, feeling a shiver run up his spine. Had that been a...threat? But the Council didn't have that kind of power. What could they do? Without proof of malice, the Bone Cousins were free to go about as they pleased, no matter what they might be accused of; they were untouchable as of the moment. And, so it would seem, Fone Bone knew that as well. He had squared his shoulders, moving closer to Phoncible, as though to give his smaller cousin strength.

"You don't scare us. There's nothing you can legally do. And we have told you everything we can. If you chose not to accept it as truth, that's your decision, but I will not stand for the threats you give us. We are still citizens of Boneville. We have our rights as individuals. This whole thing has been blown way out of proportion, and I refuse to feed the flames of your persecution any longer." His voice quivered slightly, though not with fear, but with emotion. With a quick, smooth movement, he took hold of Phoney's wrist, and started leading him for the court's large, double doors.

The Chairman and his Councilmen jumped to their feet. The great leader pointed an angry finger at the two departing figures. "I have not given you permission to leave!"

Fone Bone half turned, a look of total defiance shining off of him like the glow of a lamp. He had had all he could take of these Bones, and he knew that the Council could do nothing to stop him. They were bullies. Nothing more. Bullies who, in society, held an immense amount of power, but who held no real status in the law. "I didn't ask for it," he stated firmly, before turning his back with finality. "Come on, Phoney."

The Chairman watched as the two left, waiting until the doors had opened and shut before he turned sharply to Lathan. "Follow them. It is time for you to earn your publicity." His tone was stern and angry, but above else held a certain, underlying blanket of warning. Lathan had better not fail. Suddenly the job didn't seem as ideal as it had before. And now Lathan felt slightly conflicted. These Bones didn't seem nearly as harmful as the Chairman had led him to believe. How much else of what he had been told was untrue? But, then again, he needed this job. He needed to fulfill his dream. What other chance would he ever get? None.

With a nod, Lathan picked up a pen and his notebook, placing his hat upon his head and adjusting his tie, before heading out, already on the trail of his subjects.

* * *

Fone Bone was livid. He couldn't believe the nerve of the Council; accusing them mercilessly, without ceasing. He had taken all he could. He felt a twinge of regret for leaving the chamber the way he had, having a feeling that it might come back to bite him later on. But, all in all, he was glad he had walked out. Phoney had clearly been upset, and the Chairman's prying seemed to have been more barbed than before. It hadn't just been a question for the sake of curiosity. It had been a question meant to hurt. He had called Phoney 'the most hated individual in Boneville'. That was low; very low. Though Phoney was not the warm, pleasant sort, he had changed a lot since his days before the Valley. Fone hadn't realized just how changed until they had returned. It was subtle, but in ways that spoke profoundly of his growing selflessness, which had been completely nonexistent before. Fone saw it in the way that Phoney spoke, slightly more aware of how his words effected others. In how he had started to treat others in a different, more concerned way. Oh, he was still the same old Phoney, getting in trouble from time to time with his schemes, always looking for an in, but they were far less dangerous now. And they didn't happen as often. Though Phoney still suffered from his greed, that had diminished too. Not disappeared, but definitely diminished.

With a sigh of frustration, Fone led his cousin out of the meeting house and onto the sidewalk. He could feel that Phoney was shivering, much as he had been the night before, albeit a little less violently. It worried him, and he was disturbed to find that his cousin would not meet his gaze. He let go of Phoney's wrist, walking beside him as they headed back for their apartment. "Don't worry about them, Phoney," he said soothingly, eyes wandering about them at the dark, rainy sky. "They can't keep this up forever. Eventually they'll have to give up...right?" He was greeted by silence, Phoney's eyes still lowered to the sidewalk at their feet. Fone nodded, though at what he had no idea. It just felt like the right thing to do. He could understand his cousin's depression. It had been lapping away his own nerves for quite some time as well. He guessed he was just better at handling it. "What happened in there?" he added, after a pause. He felt he needed to get Phoney talking. It wasn't healthy to hold everything inside all the time, which Phoney had become a pro at doing.

Phoney shrugged, still finding his feet more fascinating than anything else around him. "I...don't know. I just-" Suddenly he froze, eyes widening and shooting up from the sidewalk to stare in the direction they were headed.

Fone Bone actually jumped with the abruptness of the motion. " _Now_ what's wrong?" He was beginning to wonder if life would ever return to normal. But it was becoming more and more obvious that that wasn't about to happen any time soon.

Phoney looked startled, which was soon growing into a state of panic. His chest gave a sharp inhale, one word coming out in a tense hiss. "Smiley..."

Fone Bone's eyes widened. "Smiley? What about Smiley? Hey! Phoney?!" His cousin had suddenly broken into a run, and Fone found he had to work hard to keep up with him. Phoney turned a couple sharp corners, racing along as though death itself were on his heels. He crossed the street, almost getting hit by a passing car. Running in through the doors of their complex, he raced through the lobby, Fone close behind. Not even bothering with the elevator, Phoney flew through the doors leading to the staircase, taking each step two at a time. "Phoney! Wait!" But it was no use, Phoney was either ignoring him, or couldn't hear him. He shot up three flights at top speed, pushing through the door on the third flight landing. Fone Bone, huffing and puffing, stumbled, slowing slightly now that he was certain where Phoney was headed. Their apartment. Smiley was there, he'd make sure Phoney was-

His thoughts froze, as he took in the wide open door before them. The apartment was completely void of life, seeming haunting in its stillness. Fone Bone stepped forward, coming up alongside Phoney, who had come to a halt just outside the open entryway. "H-hey," he began nervously, almost afraid to step in his own home. "T-The door's open...Where's...Where's Smiley?"

Phoney's words, spoken in fear and confusion, filled Fone Bone with dread. "Gone."

* * *

 **Whew. That was a lot to write. Things should start getting pretty interesting now. ;)**


	7. Leaving Boneville

"G-Gone?! But where would he go?!"

Fone rushed into the apartment, a sickening feeling filling him as he made his way through the empty kitchen, living room, and bedrooms. The television still blared, some strange late morning show playing, filled with static, due to the rainy day. It filled their home with a foreboding feeling, as though it were practically shouting that Smiley's departure had been quick and unplanned. A hundred possibilities shot through Fone's mind, though all perfectly logical. Smiley might have just gone out for a stroll. _In this whether?_ No. No, he supposed not. He might have been kidnapped, but that seemed unlikely. Smiley had Bartleby with him, and it would be quite a feat indeed to get by the rat creature and get to Smiley. That was when Fone Bone realized that Bartleby was gone as well. Things just weren't adding up!

"Where could he have gone to?!" he asked again, to no one in particular. He stood in the living room, heart pounding as one horrible answer came to mind. "Oh no...No, he wouldn't..." He turned to Phoney as his cousin joined him, looking dazed. "He wouldn't go to the Valley!"

Phoney shivered, even though it wasn't cold in the apartment. He felt like something was watching him, that same dark force that had been present there the night before. He felt his stomach drop uneasily, gazing at the television without actually looking at it. At Fone Bone's exclamation, he nodded. He knew that was it. He didn't know how he knew, but he did. Smiley had left for the Valley.

Fone slapped a hand to his forehead in frustration. "Why would he _do_ that?!" he fumed. "He knows how I felt about going! I told him we needed to wait!"

"Why?"

Fone turned sharply to Phoney, caught off guard by his smaller cousin's soft question. His mind froze as he realized he really didn't have a good answer. "We...Well, what if...Phoney, we can't run off across the desert every time something weird happens here in Boneville!" He let his frustration seep into his tone, angry that he didn't have a better explanation than that. His face slowly went from an expression of anger to one of concern. "He _knew_ that. He knew we couldn't just up and leave. He _knew_." He knew, so the question was, why had he gone anyway? Fone closed his eyes, reopening them with a frustrated sigh. "We're going to have to go after him."

"Are you crazy?!" Phoney's usual continence returned with a jolt, which, in a way, was a relief. Fone didn't like the frightened, unfocused version of Phoney he had seen all day. "You just said we can't just up and leave!" But it could also be a very tiring continence that got on Fone's nerve far too quickly.

"Well, we'll have to now, won't we?!" Fone growled, his angry tone breaking at the end into one of fear. "He's out there alone!"

"He's got Bartleby."

"Oh, that's _great_!" Fone threw his hands up above his head, waving them ecstatically. "He's got a rat creature with him who's nearly as inexperience in survival as Smiley!" He blinked, seeming to realize just how loud he had been. He noticed how uneasy Phoney had become, once again losing some of his usual gruffness. What was it with Phoney lately anyway? Every time Fone thought he was back to himself, he'd shrink inward again at the drop of a pin. Fone gave a shuddering sigh, lowering his eyes to the carpeted floor. "Alright, Phoney. I'm sorry. Okay? I'm just so worried about him, you know? We can't just stay here and do nothing."

There was a long silence between them, in which Phoney also lowered his eyes to the floor. Part of him wanted to stay where they were, a feeling of doom-like foreboding growing in his heart. He couldn't understand why Fone Bone couldn't feel it. His cousin had always been so sensitive to stuff like that in the Valley. The other half of Phoney felt as though it were being tugged to go. Pushed. Drawn. In fact, the more he tried to fight it, the more desperate the second feeling became, until he couldn't even feel his reluctance anymore, he only had the memory of it. Blinking slowly, Phoney came forward, almost apologetically. "Fone Bone..." He paused, wondering why he was going to agree to this. His experiences in the Valley had not been as pleasant as his cousins' time there had been. Oh, they all shared that same horror for the parts they had all been through together, but Fone and Smiley had also had good times. Phoney had had less of that, and more of the other. Most of his memories where not fond. Then why did he feel he needed to go so badly? "Fone Bone, if we're going to go, we're going to need to be more prepared than before. We need supplies."

Fone Bone's head snapped up, shock slowly turning to agreement on his face. "Right. You pack some food and water, I'll see what I can find that might be useful from our rooms." He exchanged a nod with Phoney before the two Bones went to their separate tasks.

Fone entered his room purposefully, heading right for the closet in the corner. He knelt down, digging through the various objects and tossing them aside, his mind fixed on finding one, specific item. He began to panic when it did not appear, but then, under a few assorted boxes of books, he found it. He latched onto it, looking at it thoughtfully as he rubbed the fabric between his thumb and finger fondly. The knapsack was old, warn, and stained with dirt and things that he didn't really want to think too much about. It was the one he had brought with them when they had first set out into the desert before, when they had first found their way to the Valley. It had been with him through those two, hard years. He had taken it with him everywhere, one of his few possessions from home. It had been special, because, at the time, all he had wanted in his heart was to _get_ home. But know, it belonged more to the Valley. After two years of him adventuring with it strapped to his back, it looked strange in the setting of Boneville. Just as Fone Bone and his cousins did. This battered, strained object sported just as much change as he did. And like it, he had felt out of place in Boneville. He never used it anymore; people always gave him looks. But then again, they usually gave him looks anyway. Fone often wondered if it was as easy to see the difference in him as it was to see in his knapsack.

There was still something inside it, and Fone almost reverently opened it up, revealing the scratched and bent cover of a book. Fone Bone smiled, remembering how much he had always treasured this tomb. Moby Dick had been his guide, in a way, through the troubles of the Valley. Whenever he had felt overwhelmed, or afraid, it had always been that comforting weight against his back; something real and substantial that constantly reminded him that the Valley wasn't all just a dream. That it was all really happening. He had always loved the story as well. The tale of a perfectly normal man thrust into an adventure completely out of his league. That 'every-man' character, facing total chaos, had always appealed to him. Even more so now that it actually applied to his own life.

He sat there, looking at it a moment, before moving to set it aside. But then he paused. It certainly didn't count as supplies, but Fone Bone wasn't sure if he could face the Valley without it. After a moment of indecision, he placed it back in the bag. Slinging the knapsack over his shoulder, he headed into the hall, stopping at the closet that resided there. He opened it, avoiding a few falling objects. He was certain there was some rope there somewhere. During their last adventure, there had been more than one occasion when Fone felt they really could have used some, and he wanted to be prepared this time. He also grabbed a few leak-proof water canteens, left over from Smiley's camping trip. He didn't want to be stuck out in the desert without any water, like last time. And he had a nasty feeling that Smiley hadn't brought any with him. The thought of his cousin made him double his pace. He finished there, not even bothering to close the closet back up. He walked swiftly back into the kitchen, just as Phoney dumped a load of groceries on the table.

"We want stuff that'll last," Phoney observed, sifting through the objects methodically. He held up an apple. "These are still on the hard side; they'll last for a few days, four at the most." He started placing a fair number of them in the knapsack that Fone held out to him. He displayed a potato, making a face, but tossing it in anyway. "It'll be better than nothing."

"Any meat we can bring along?" Fone asked, looking over the selection with distaste.

Phoney shrugged, pulling out a baggie of what appeared to be a few slices of precooked chicken. It wasn't an appetizing sight, but, like Phoney had said, it would be better than nothing. Fone Bone nodded and that too was thrown in the sack. Phoney groaned, rubbing a hand over his tired eyes.

"That's about all we've got."

Fone Bone peered into his knapsack, gazing at the meager parcel. He would have liked to have gone to the store and bought a few things, but time was slowly starting to press on his mind. They needed to leave. "How many days did it take us to cross the desert last time?"

"Something close to three days."

Fone nodded slowly, remembering. "Well, this should last us through that, as long as we go easy on it. We'll have to ration it out, but we've been through worse." He went to the sink and filled the canteens with cold water, capping them tightly.

Phoney smiled ruefully. "Much worse."

Fone closed the sack, swinging it up onto that familiar spot on his back, grunting slightly under the weight. It felt right there, as if it was supposed to occupy that place. "Let's leave. The sooner we go, the sooner we can find Smiley; and the sooner we can get to the bottom of all this."

They left the apartment, locking it securely. Who knew when they would be back. It wasn't much, but it was home, and though the Bones didn't own anything of value, Fone didn't want anyone waltzing in and taking what few things that belonged to them. Phoney stood in the air-conditioned hall, gazing up and down it nervously, lest they be followed. He waited as Fone Bone locked the door, handing the key to him so that he could throw it into the sack as well. There was no other place to put it.

They sneaked out of the building as quietly as possible, smiling kindly at anyone they happened to meet on their way out. Their nerves were on edge, the feeling that they were being watched constantly prickling at their senses. They exited the apartment building lobby, mildly surprised to see that it was dusk. The sun had set, and darkness was beginning to descend on the city. It was odd, since it felt like they had just awoken that morning, but they supposed that it actually had been quite a while since then. They had spent most of the day at the Council building, and when they had left they hadn't really been paying attention. The day had gone by so quickly. But it was good, in a way. It would be easier to leave under the cover of night, unseen. It was truly a blessing, even if it was a wet, drizzling type of night. But that would thin out over the desert; then they would wish that they had the refreshing cool and moisture.

They made their way through the city, coming at last to stand on the very fringe of the desert's sandy expanse. It was strange, how quickly cement gave way to grit and beach-like terrain. It was as though Boneville had been built with love and care until it reached that point, where it sort of faded into nothing. No one lived on the fringe, which was fine. That simply meant that no one would see them head out on their journey.

"Well," Fone Bone breathed, mustering his courage, "Goodbye Boneville. Hello Valley." With that, he took the first step. The desert felt cooling under his feet, and wet from the rain water, like the edge of an ocean beach were the cold waves have licked the sand. It shifted slightly, making it feel like a step backward rather than one forward. It was then that Fone Bone realized just how much work this was going to entail. But it was worth it to find Smiley...Wherever he might be ahead of them. Fone could feel Phoney following behind him, and he slowed slightly, so that they could walk side by side. "You alright?"

"Yeah," was Phoney's uneasy reply. "It's just...Fone Bone, I've got a bad feeling about this whole thing."

Fone nodded, looking back up at the darkening horizon. He wished he could have given some comfort to that. He wished he could have been the very essence of optimism. But he couldn't. He was worried. He was scared. And, most of all, he was confused. Just what _was_ going on? Why was Smiley acting like this? And, for that matter, why was Phoney acting strangely as well? Fone didn't know. He felt left out in a way. Not that he wanted to go through what they had the last few days, but he just wished that he could understand it. He shook his head sadly, setting a steady pace. "Neither do I, Phoney. Neither do I."

Far behind them, though being careful to keep the two cousins in sight without being seen, a small figure matched their pace, stepping into the sand with only a moment's hesitation. He had no supplies, or any idea of where he was headed, but Lathan Baldwin Bone was not about to let that stop him. Already the Bone Cousins had provided him with enough material to keep his business running for weeks. He could only imagine what he would get if he continued to follow in their shadows.

* * *

Smiley stumbled forward, wading through the increasingly difficult drifts of heavy sand. The sun was baring down on him, bringing back memories from two solid years before. Only then he had been with his cousins. They had been on the run from the townspeople, and had at least _some_ water. Smiley also recalled that he had been virtually unaffected by the sun's rays then. Not that he hadn't felt it, but, back then, he hadn't cared. Everything had been a joke then. He had been a free-going soul who didn't have a worry in the world. I foolish tramp, who's only purpose was to make people laugh and annoy Phoney as much as possible.

But not anymore.

He had changed so much, and now, in this situation, he could really see it. He felt wilted and tired, the heat beating down on his shoulders. He wasn't smiling, and his eyes were half closed, trying to see against the glare of the early morning light. It was only a few hours after sunrise, and already the warmth had turned into a blistering heat. It burned at his pale skin, making him all the hotter. But that was nothing compared to the burning questions in his mind. He had awoken, as if from a dream, standing in the middle of the desert. He couldn't remember getting up from the couch, and he couldn't remember leaving Boneville. In fact, the only thing he _could_ remember with certainty was when Fone and Phoney had left him to go have audience with the Council. After that, everything was a blank. He was disturbed and frightened by this, but not nearly as much as he would have been if he had snapped out of his weird trance and found himself alone. He had Bartleby, and, at the moment, it was the greatest comfort he could ask for.

The rat creature in question was very worried, his large eyes watching Smiley with concern. He had been relieved when Smiley had finally come to himself. He had explained as much as possible, answering Smiley's frightened questions about why they were in the desert. He had given as good an explanation as he could, which, in reality, wasn't very good. He was just as much at a loss as Smiley. And just as frightened.

A little color had returned to his friend, which was really saying something, since Bones were always a pure, milky white. But, like any other skin tone, one could always see that flush of color beneath the surface, that told of the blood flowing beneath it. Smiley had been upset, which was understandable, and had wanted to return home, but, unfortunately, the two had no idea which direction led back to Boneville. The wind had erased their footprints from the sand, leaving all around them a frighteningly clean slate. But now, Bartleby was more worried about the immediate problem. Smiley was becoming weak, he could tell. It reminded him again of that time in the Valley when Smiley had collapsed. Afraid to have a repeat of that history, the rat creature stayed right by his side, hoping that his fear would not come true. This time there was no one to help Smiley if he fainted. Bartleby would not have a clue what to do.

As if on cue, Smiley tripped, falling to his knees in the sand.

Bartleby gave a hiss of concern, lowering his head to his friend's level. _"Smiley?! Are you alright?!"_

"Yeah," Smiley breathed slowly, wiping sweat from his brow. "Yeah, I just need to rest a minute." He let his eyes wander the horizon, taking in the large world of sand that spread before them as far as the eyes could see. He glanced behind him, then to the left and right, finding the exact same thing. He scrunched his eyes shut, lowering his head with a heavy sigh. "What have I done?" he moaned. "Why did I leave home? Why can't I _remember_?" His voice became distressed. "I'm sorry, Bartleby...I've been nothing but trouble lately!" He lowered his head into his hands, his headache worsening with the bent posture. But he didn't care. He was miserable either way.

Bartleby blinked sadly, moving up to lean against his friend comfortingly. _"I do not think you are to blame,"_ he said slowly. _"It was very strange how you left...I...I think you couldn't help it."_

Smiley nodded, too tired to argue. He looked up again, starting to rise back to his feet. Bartleby gave a hiss of disapproval.

 _"What are you doing?"_

"We have to keep going."

 _"Not before you have rested."_

Smiley groaned. "Bartleby-"

 _"No. Rest. Then go."_

"Bartleby we can't. The sooner we get going, the sooner we might reach the Valley, or Boneville, or wherever we're facing." Smiley sighed. "We have to make it before...before my body decides to...you know. Give out on me."

Bartleby flinched at his friend's honest admission to how badly off he was becoming. The rat creature himself was feeling a little uncomfortable in the heat, but, apparently, his kind could last far longer without food or water than a Bone. That was something he had learned long ago about Smiley. With a hissing sigh, Bartleby nodded. _"Alright. But you have to ride on my back."_ That was something they hadn't done since the Valley, but it seemed the most logical choice of action at the moment. That way they could both be satisfied; continuing on their way, with Smiley getting a little bit of rest.

Smiley paused a moment, just focusing on breathing. Then he nodded, again too tire to argue. "Alright. But let me know when you start feeling tired and we'll go back to the old way. Okay?"

Bartleby beamed, knowing that his strength was practically endless. _"Okay!"_ With that he shifted Smiley onto his back and the two continued on their way as the sun rose ever higher, and the desert became ever hotter.

* * *

"How big is this stupid desert, anyway! I mean, does it _really_ even have to be here?! Don't we have the technology to, I don't know, sweep it under some universal rug?!"

"Phoney, for cry'n out loud, will you shut up!" Fone Bone refused to even look at his cousin. Oh, he had been glad that Phoney had slowly returned to his usual state, but now he would have given anything to have left the badgering, sarcastic chatterbox behind in Boneville. Last night had been alright, but ever since the sun had risen, Phoney had launched into a long tirade of complaining. And Fone's reaction wasn't helping.

"It's hot!" Phoney whined, giving a cough for emphasis. He glared up at the sun, squinting as its rays beat down on them. He hurried a few steps to catch up with his cousin, poking the knapsack with a finger repeatedly. "I need some water!"

Fone couldn't keep the contempt out of his voice. "You'll have to wait a little longer!" He had not let up on his pace since they had left the city, moving at a steady walk straight into the desert. He was in no mood for Phoney's impatience, the heat robbing Fone of his own. They had been walking for hours without stopping. Unless you called that three minute water break a rest of some sort. Boneville wasn't even visible anymore, and the only thing for miles was an occasional cactus. Fone knew he had to remember that Phoney was smaller than he was, and that he couldn't move as quickly or as far because of it. But, annoyed as he was, Fone Bone ignored that fact, pushing on ahead mercilessly. He heard Phoney give a grumble under his breath. "Don't give me that!" he shouted in answer over his shoulder, even though he had no idea what Phoney had said. "Gosh darn it, Phoney! Sometimes you act like such a child!"

"Well, you treat me like one!" Phoney shot back heatedly. He was limping slightly, after hours of walking. He was exhausted, but would never admit it. He hadn't slept in two nights, and it was catching up to him. But he would never tell Fone Bone that. He'd die first. "I'm the oldest of us three! I can take care of myself!"

Fone Bone gave a harsh, scoffing laugh. "Sure! That's why you're always in trouble! That's why you can't seem to do an honest day's work to save your life, without getting caught up in some scheme or other! That's why you're so annoying! Why your the most hated individual in Bonev-" He stopped himself right there, biting off the last word with a gasp. He came to an abrupt stop, knowing he had gone to far. None of that was true, Fone knew. Yes, Phoney still got in trouble from time to time, but not nearly like he used to. His scheming had diminished, and he had really changed, considering. A work in progress, but he had definitely taken steps in the right direction. Fone Bone winced mentally when he heard nothing behind him but silence. He turned slowly, his face filled with regret, finding that Phoney had stopped almost a total of seven paces behind him. Phoney's shoulders were slumped, and his eyes were fixed on the sand at his feet. His impatience and anger was gone, replaced by genuine look of hurt. Fone Bone felt his heart twist at once.

"Phoney...I'm sorry. You know I didn't mean any of that."

The smaller cousin nodded, still not looking Fone in the eye. "I know."

Fone Bone scratched the back of his neck in frustration. "It's the heat. It's making us irritable."

"And tired."

Fone looked at him, remembering suddenly how little sleep his cousin had had of late. He instantly felt guilty. Retracing his steps until he stood beside Phoney, Fone shrugged off his knapsack. He knelt down, sending Phoney a worried glance as his cousin remained standing. "We'll rest a bit. Take a little nap maybe. I know we have to reach Smiley as soon as possible, but it's no good if we kill ourselves in the process." He took out one of the canteens. Uncapping it, he held it out to Phoney. "Here."

Phoney took it carefully, now feeling rather ashamed of how he had acted. Sometimes he had to wonder if he truly was hated. If not by his cousins than certainly by the rest of the world. There wasn't even anyone in the Valley who really liked him. Fone Bone and Smiley were the only ones, and sometimes he wondered if he was too much for even them to handle. Sitting down into the sand, he took a small sip of the warm, but refreshing, water. But only a small sip. After his display, he felt he didn't really deserve it, and so he allowed himself only just enough to get by on. He handed it back to Fone with a quiet, "Thanks." Then he curled up on his side. Thankfully, the sand was still moderately cool from the night, not yet the baking grit it would become later. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep. A nice, gentle sleep, unlike the nightmare-filled one of before.

Fone Bone recapped the canteen, setting it beside him as he lay down himself. He sent Phoney one more guilty look before his tired eyes closed. They wouldn't want to sleep too long. Not with Smiley out there alone. Well, not alone; he had Bartleby. But those to were so innocent. So young. Fone Bone closed his eyes tighter.

He hoped they were alright.

* * *

 **Yay! Another chapter! I'm really enjoying writing this, especially now that we're out of Boneville. Don't get me wrong, writing Boneville was fun, but I almost couldn't wait to move on! ;)**


	8. Unexpected Visitor

_It was dark._

 _Very dark._

 _Something lurked, but was hidden._

 _Phoney stood in the blackness, arms pressed against his chest and eyes shut tight. He was trying to make himself as small as possible. Trying to hide. Trying to make himself invisible. All he wanted was to be back in the light, and away from this world of fear and pain. He hoped that he was too small to be noticed, and that he could just stay low and undetected._

 _But it didn't work._

 _It saw him._

 _It knew he was there._

 _Phoney felt it turn, surrounding him with its presence like a thick, substantial shadow. It was mocking him, grinning, even though it was nothing visible. Phoney could feel its contempt and victory, and he suddenly felt very insignificant. Very weak and vulnerable. Very much an easy target._

 _He kept his eyes closed, scrunching their lids harder, and his arms stiffened, pressing into himself. He knew he was doomed. There was no escape. There was no hope. There was no chance. Phoney cringed as a word echoed loudly in his mind, almost as loud as a shout. From all around him. It pierced his soul, making him wince in pain, and tremble in fear. It filled him with an overwhelming urge to obey, and yet, at the same time, a terror to do so._

 _"...COME..."_

* * *

With a jolt, Phoney awakened, hands griping the sand beneath him as the world came tilting back into focus. It was just like the night before; a dream of frightening sensation and foreboding, only, in a way, a little bit clearer. It had seemed a lot more real, and a lot stronger, as though the source had a better entry into his mind and soul. As if he hadn't really been asleep. Slowly, he realized that he was lying on his back, breathing heavily, only this time there was no Fone Bone holding him down like before. Phoney could feel the cold consistency of sand under him, his mind finally remembering where they were. Not that it was much comfort knowing one was stranded in the desert, but it was a world of a lot better than his nightmare. He closed his eyes in relief.

He was starting to despise sleep, feeling almost feverish with his fear of it. He was so tired, and yet the moment his vision closed to the world of slumber, he was haunted and hurt by the images his exhausted mind concocted. If it was even his fault. He didn't recognize any of those images as ones that he had gathered from any recent experiences. He knew what it reminded him of though. That was no mystery. It was of a force he and his cousins had fought so hard to defeat, in what felt like so very long ago. But, in truth, was not. It really hadn't been that long a time since they had quested in the Valley. But, living back in Boneville, it had seemed to make it feel like another lifetime entirely. The magic and adventure had died. And so had their spirits. Though he had once been captured by the Locust's servant, the Hooded One, and almost sacrificed, Phoney had never seen the Dark Lord himself. It had been a shadow. A presence. Nothing concrete. Phoney's mind was not supplied with an image of him; of what he was like, or any other such thing.

Then where were these dreams coming from?

It sent a shiver of fierce unease throughout his whole body. A sense of foreboding filled his mind, and yet he fought against it. He did not want to give in to harmless dreams and fears. He didn't want to assume danger where non existed. He would not let it overcome him. He started trying to calm his mind, breathing slower and slower as he forced his panic to diminish. His heart stopped its insistent pounding, and he struggled to sit up, knowing that trying to get any more sleep that night would be useless.

It was then that he realized that it was no longer the scorching heat of the day, but the cool, refreshing shadow of night that surrounded him. The wind, though warm, was strong, blowing loud against his ears as it thundered over the dunes, unobstructed by buildings or any other forms of civilization. It whipped little wisps of dust of the curling crests of the sand piles, though, luckily, not so much so that it blew in one's eyes. The desert itself was bathed in moonlight, creating a blue glow that was reflected in the very sand itself. Dark shadows dipped on the dune sides, pockets of black against a rolling, sandy sea of light, calming midnight.

Phoney glanced to his left, checking on his younger cousin. Fone Bone was sleeping peacefully enough, and for that Phoney was grateful. He knew that Fone needed his rest, but they also had to get a move on to find Smiley. Having overslept was both a good thing and a bad thing. It was bad because it meant that, while they had been resting, Smiley might have gotten even further ahead of them than before. The good thing, however, was that traveling under the darkness of night would be easier and, in the long run, less dangerous than making the trek in broad daylight. The sun's rays would have sapped them of their energy very quickly, and then they would have been in serious trouble. But by night there was no glaring sun, nor the intense heat from its power. They could walk in coolness, and, therefore, travel much further. Whether that had been Fone Bone's intention or not, Phoney didn't know. But, either way, it worked out for the best. As long as they headed out immediately.

Preparing to reach over and shake his cousin awake, Phoney suddenly froze, hand held out before him, hovering over his cousin's shoulder. His eyes grew wide, and his hearing focused with a sense of urgent panic. His heart and breathing picked back up, though he tried to suppress the sounds they made, as dark images of what it could be began assaulting his imagination viciously.

He had heard movement.

There was no mistaking it. A soft movement, light and clumsy; the sound of sand sliding beneath the careful weight of a foot pressing down upon it. Phoney might have dismissed it as nothing but a rare bit of life in the desert, walking about as it looked for food. It could have been anything. A desert mouse, or rabbit, or even a fox. Except this was far too close for any animal. No wild creature would venture as close to them as this. The sound had been only a few yards beside them. And it had not been Fone Bone. And it was far too heavy to be anything smaller than a person. This was the sound of a _someone_ , rather than a _something_.

Shifting slowly and carefully, Phoney tried to get his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Though the moon was out, peeking between large, thick silhouettes of clouds, it did little to effect the atmosphere of the landscape, shrouding it blearily. The dancing patterns of dim light and prominent shadows made it impossible to pick out anything clearly, both up close and in the distance.

He sat crouched, hands gripping the sand so tightly it felt like the grit was burning into his skin. His nightmare was enhancing his sensitivity, making him jumpy. He tried to rationalize the situation, slowly attempting to convince himself that it couldn't be a person, because they were out in the middle of the desert. No one would be dumb enough to be out there, excluding him, Fone, and Smiley. It couldn't have been what it sounded like. But then, just as he was beginning to settle back down, the noise sounded again. Closer. And Phoney thought he caught the slightest bit of movement, several paces to his cousin's left; where Fone's knapsack was lying coated in loose sand. Phoney stiffened at once, shaking as his mind warred over what he should do. The need to protect his family kicked hard into Phoney's heart, something that was still very new to him. He had always looked out for himself, never caring about the affairs of others. But now, he had grown very close to Fone and Smiley. Even more so than when the three cousins had been children, orphans stealing pies on the street.

Phoney, as the oldest, had always schemed and planned, in order to keep what little he had left of his family alive. It was a burden that was really too hard for him to carry alone, and yet he would never let anyone help him. Since the Valley, his instincts to provide and protect had more than doubled. While, perhaps, through less drastic measures, he still struggled to keep them all safe. And now, sitting in the desert, with the wind blowing particles of sand against its skin, a creature was creeping slowly toward Fone Bone. It seized Phoney's soul with panic, driving him up to his feet, and, with a shout, the smallest Bone cousin leaped upon the shadow.

The intruder gave a grunt of surprise as Phoney jumped forward, wrapping his short arms around its middle. Together, they staggered backward, tripping over Fone Bone's slumbering form, which brought the two slamming down to the ground, half on top of Fone, resulting in jolting the sleeping Bone into full wakefulness. His eyes snapped open, a mix of pain and surprise very easily visible in his expression.

"OUCH! Phoney! Hey, what's going on?! Hey!" Fone staggered to his feet as the two rolled away from him, the poor Bone trying to make out the tangled shadow of arms and legs in the dark. He squinted, trying to depict it from the other patches of blues and blacks and grays, the sounds of a struggle in his ears. He could her Phoney, wrestling with something, as Fone shifted back to avoid a kick in the shin. Sand was flying out, spraying in Fone's direction whenever the two rolling figures got close to him.

"Get a light! Get a light!" Phoney shouted frantically, struggling to keep the intruder down and in his grip. He was having difficulty with his adversary. Whoever he had his arms wrapped around was strong, and energetic; panic-stricken in their movements to get away. They kicked and pushed, and, though Phoney was equally desperate, he found himself weakening quite quickly. His nerves were not at their best either, still frayed from his nightmares. All kinds of images of what he might be gripping in his arms flashed in his mind. He was almost afraid to find out.

A sudden kick to his stomach made Phoney gasp, and he let go and fell to the ground with a sharp cry and a thump.

Fone grabbed his bag, hands shaking in his worry as though their very lives depended on how quickly he felt his grip close around the smooth, cylinder form of his flashlight. His fingers dug inside the sack, brushing up against it, and he pulled it out, just as he heard Phoney give a sharp inhale and a sound of pain. Fone felt his mind panic, believing he was already too late. Hurriedly, he flicked on the switch, jolting his arm and the light in the direction of the scuffle, half expecting to see some horrible monster with its claws wrapped around Phoney's neck. But, instead of some horrid beast, the beam fell upon the figure of a Bone, black tie pulled undone and crooked, a small boulder hat laying in the sand at his feet. His chest was heaving, eyes wincing in the light that suddenly flashed in his face, hand held up to shield them. Beside him, Phoney lay on his side, clutching his stomach, gasping for air with a murderous glare piercing up at his opponent.

Fone Bone's voice held no hesitation, only anger and warning. After so long a time of living beneath the threats and hate of others of his kind, he had learned not to bandy words. His questions were quick and to the point, and left hospitality to be desired. " _Who_ are you? And _what_ are you doing here?" Each word was ground out sternly, leaving no room for any other interpretation.

Lathan knew he was in trouble. He hadn't planned on getting caught. He had figured that the two Bone cousins would have been too deep in sleep to hear him, but, obviously, that had been a mistake. Now that he was discovered, it took away all possibilities for him to observe the cousins naturally. Now they would become suspicious. They already were, he could see it in their faces; see it in the way their eyes narrowed in anger and unease. The way they were standing, defensively, as though ready to fight if need be. Lathan had already seen how the Council had effected them. They were practically rivals. Enemies. They would be furious if they found out his true mission. And he would never get the publicity he had been promised if he didn't get the whole story. They had headed out into the desert, and that was a start. There had to be a reason. Treasure maybe. Or some strange secret. He had to find out where their journey was going to lead them. If he didn't, he would never get the life as a reporter he had always wanted.

Lathan had never been a liar, other than the occasional white lie from time to time. To resort to untruth now was very tempting. He could make up a story. Convince them he wasn't anyone to worry about. Get on their good side. Then he could continue his observations without them knowing or protesting. It was worth a shot. The alternative was to tell the truth, suffer their anger, go back to Boneville to the wrath of the council, and probably be kept from ever getting a job as a reporter again. He simply had nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

Putting on the most apologetic expression he could, Lathan moved his body into a tight, frightened stance, making himself look as small and pathetic as he could. He rubbed his hands together in front of him, sliding them over each over in a nervous, unconscious pattern. "I just wanted some water..." he gasped, trying to appear as worn and weak as possible from his fight. Phoncible really had been stronger than he had imagined. The oldest Bone Cousin was the shortest, even Lathan beat him by a few inches, and yet his energy seemed to counteract that fact quite a bit. Though not enough. Lathan was built sturdier. Stockier. And, while Phoney had put up a good fight, he hadn't had a chance. The reporter put on his most winning smile. "I-I'm Lathan..."

Fone Bone still seemed confused, his expression of anger instantly falling into one of uncertainty. A moment ago he had been sure where he stood with this stranger. Now, he wasn't so sure. Fone glanced through the darkness, back the way they had come, then back to their unexpected visitor, eyes widening in disbelief. "You're...from Boneville?" That both shocked him and frightened him. It shocked him that any other Bone had had the guts to go out into the desert. Bones were not adventurous folk. To leave the city was practically insane. In fact, other than themselves, Fone Bone had never heard of any other Bone leaving the city since Big Johnson Bone had founded it. While that might not be completely accurate, it was certainly close to the truth. He really had never heard of anyone ever leaving the safety and comfort of civilization.

"Yes." Lathan ran with it. "I work there as a...as a banker. I was just locking up the office, when I saw you two head'n out into the desert. And, well, my curiosity got the best of me." He tried to appear as embarrassed as possible. As though it were some troublesome habit he had yet to break. "I thought maybe I'd...you know...Follow you. To see where you were going. Hoping for a bit of excitement." He gave his tie a twist, which, if he did say so himself, added a whole new level to his act of uneasiness. He jumped back as Phoney rose rather threateningly to his feet.

"Well, you've certainly found that," the Bone growled, one hand still pressed against his gut, which was throbbing from the kick he had received. The other hand lay clenched at his side, as though at the drop of a pin he would be glad to release the tension in it by smashing the newcomer's face in.

Lathan took note of it, but tried to act as innocent as possible. He spread his arms wide, giving a slight shrug. "But I haven't brought any food or water with me. And, with all this sand, I got kind of turned around." He gestured to the vast world around them. "I wanted to return to Boneville, but I could no longer remember the direction to go to do so. So I...I kept following you. When you fell asleep I crept down here and...Well, I tried to take some of your food and water. I-I'm sorry." He was. But only because he had been caught.

There wasn't a trace of anger on Fone Bone's face anymore. Just a sense of regrettable misfortune. "Well," he said slowly, "I suppose you couldn't just stay out there alone. I wish you had just come out and told us, instead of scaring Phoney and I so badly." He gave a tired smile. "But no harm done. Guess you'll be coming with us." The minute the words were out of his mouth, Fone felt a grip settle around his wrist, being pulled aside with frustrated urgency. He rolled his eyes, knowing what was coming. "Excuse us a moment."

Phoney swung Fone Bone to the side, just out of Lathan's hearing range, if they whispered. His face held disbelief and annoyance. "Are you insane?! Fone Bone, we don't know anything about this guy. He could be lying!"

Fone shrugged, already disinterested with the conversation. "He seems alright to me."

"Fone Bone, he just snuck into our camp to steal our food and water! He kicked me in the stomach for cry'n out loud!"

"Well, you did kind of jump out at him," Fone pointed out. Phoney gave his cousin a glare that showed he was not amused. Fone gave a frustrated huff. "Oh, come on, Phoney. You're just sore because he bested you in a fight. He's harmless. Besides, we can't just leave him out here alone, without any food or water. You remember what that was like. Regardless of what we feel, we can't just ignore him and send him away. It's what's right."

"Fone Bone, I-"

"We don't have time to argue, Phoney. We've wasted enough time." He turned away, walking back to their guest. "We have to get to Smiley Bone before...before something else does."

Phoney opened his mouth to give a sharp retort, but then shut it like a box. Fone Bone would not be persuaded when he was like this. Besides, it wasn't like he had a concrete reason for mistrusting the odd fellow. Bankers did dress like that, and Phoney would know; he had devoted most of his life to the economic systems of his home government. But something about this Bone made him uneasy. Nervous even. But there was nothing he could do. Fone Bone had made his decision, and nothing short of a miracle would change it.

With a sigh of resignation, Phoney rejoined the two other Bones.

Fone gave Lathan a genuine smile, his decision reinforced by his determination to prove Phoney wrong. He picked up his knapsack, opening it up and handing the Bone their canteen. Lathan took it gratefully, popping off the cap and taking a quick swallow before handing it back. Fone took it and placed it back in the sack. He dusted off the sand from the pouch before settling it on his back. "Alright, Lathan, It looks like the vote is final." He sent Phoney a warning glance. "Follow us." He started off at a purposeful stroll, Lathan and Phoney trailing swiftly behind.

Lathan smiled, falling into step. "Believe me. I am." He tried to ignore the frown of intense disapproval that Phoncible sent his way.

* * *

Lathan mopped a hand across his sweating brow, blinking the salt from his eyes as they stung against the sun's rays. They had been walking for hours now, from the cool of night to the middle of the heated day. The sun's great orb hung high above the three travelers, beating down on them mercilessly. Lathan could never remember feeling so hot. He felt as though he were baking, like his skin would virtually cook on his body, exposed out in the blistering sun. He breathed heavily, not being used to all this moving about. His exercise usually consisted of walking up a few flights of stairs a day. He wasn't overweight for a Bone, but he was certainly out of shape. Shading his eyes against the glare, he squinted into the distance. "Whew...It's hot."

"It's the desert. Not the arctic."

Fone sent his cousin a reproaching glance. "Knock it off, Phoney." He had been listening to Phoney's dry remarks all morning, the shorter Bone being very vocal of his dislike of Lathan's company. Fone could understand Phoney's reluctance to trust the stranger. It had seemed like forever when they had felt welcomed by any of there own kind. Oh, there was always an occasional individual from time to time that would give them an encouraging smile, but, for the most part, the Bone Cousins had no support. Phoney had not taken it well; none of them had. But, out of the three of them, it was Phoney's trust that had been hurt the most. What with how the Council had treated him. Everything and everyone he had ever depended on had suddenly turned their back on him. And Fone Bone understood that, but it didn't mean that he could give a perfectly harmless individual the cold shoulder.

Lathan gave a grunt, sending Phoney a look of annoyance before ignoring him completely. "I've never been out into the desert before," he informed their assumed leader. "I've never even been out of the city before. My work keeps me running from place to place well enough, but out here there's nothing. No cars, no people; not even any animal life. How did you make it through this desert the first time?" It was a question of which he truly was curious.

Fone kept marching ahead, answering without keeping his eyes off the horizon. "The first time?"

Lathan quickened his pace, partially to get closer to Fone, but also to put some distance between him and Phoncible. "Yeah. The first time you made it through the desert to this 'Valley' you've all spoken of so much. How did you do it? You had no food or water or...anything."

Fone Bone gave a tired sigh. He was so sick of defending a story that was as much a part of him and his cousins as it was a history of the world. "Where'd you hear that?"

"Stories," Lathan shrugged. "You three Bones have become very well known."

From behind them, Phoney snorted. "Tell me about it."

Fone sent him yet another warning glance, a little more intense this time. "Phoney." He turned to Lathan, giving the Bone his full attention for the first time in hours. "Well, those stories might be a little exaggerated. We had some water, a full canteen, actually. But, the trip into the desert hadn't been really something we had thought through, and we soon ran out. Smiley drank the rest of the water." He said the last part with a smirk. It hadn't been funny then, but now, for some reason, it was.

"What did you do after that?"

"Well, things sort of came to their own conclusions." Fone looked back toward the front, eyes scanning their surrounding, but in a way that gave the impression he was seeing the desert of the past, when he had last traveled that way. "And to tell you the truth, I don't really remember it very clearly. We were chased by...a swarm of insects. We got separated. And...it was a long time before we saw each other again."

"Insects?"

"Locusts," Phoney supplied, with the smallest hint of a shiver. He had lost his angry expression, also seeming lost in thought like his cousin. Lathan looked between the two, unsure as to what was the big deal. Insects weren't that scary. If they were even telling the truth about _that_. The Chairman had warned him to beware of the Bone Cousins' lies. This could very well be one of them.

Lathan scratched his head, trying to appear open about the whole thing. "That's odd. I mean, this is the desert. Where did they even come from?"

"The Valley."

" _Right_." Despite his best try, Lathan could not keep the slight scoff from his voice. He managed to disguise it with a cough, looking around them as though the desert had suddenly become very interesting. "Getting kind of windy, isn't it?" he observed. In fact, it was. Sand was starting to roll over the dunes in little swirling clouds, and the breeze that carried it pushed against the Bones, throwing off their balance a bit.

All at once, Fone Bone's eyes, which had been squintingly scanning ahead, widened. "Hey, look! Out there!" His tone was tense and excited, prompting Phoney to push past Lathan to reach his side and follow Fone's pointing finger. His eyes also opened wide, blinking against the growing wind.

"It's Smiley! And Bartleby!"

Cupping his hands around his mouth, Fone gave the loudest holler he could. "SMILEY! BARTLEBY! OVER HERE!"

Lathan chuckled, relieved that the lost cousin had been found, so that they could head back for Boneville. He was quickly realizing that this outdoor life was not for him. He wished for the comfort of his warm, soft bed, and the sound of his hand-operated press. Old as it was, it was something he treasured, and, at the moment, deeply missed. "He hears you!" His smile faded as he noticed the far off figure stumble, and almost fall. "He doesn't look so good."

Fone Bone bit his lip. The wind was picking up even more, and they had to shield their faces against a sudden gust carrying dust crystals and silt. "Shoot." Fone had been afraid of this. Smiley hadn't brought any supplies with him. He had never been one for thinking ahead. But it was proving to be a very dangerous flaw at the moment. Fone snatched his knapsack from his back, working on opening it as he suddenly started running toward his cousin. "We have to hurry! He probably needs water pretty badly by now!"

"Whoa! Hey!" Lathan struggled to keep up as Phoney roughly grabbed his wrist, pulling him down the side of a steep dune as both cousins took off at an all out run. The sand was slipping from under his feet in a mini avalanche, creating a river-like path of sand sliding behind them, filling in the holes their feet had made. Lathan was already tired from walking all night and morning, and he was greatly irritated by Phoncible's tight hold on him. Twisting his wrist, he managed to free himself.

Phoncible only looked back for a moment, barely interested. "Come on!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm-" Lathan's words all at once died in his throat. His eyes opened wider than any as of yet, his mouth going momentarily slack before finally being able to speak. "H-hey...Hey guys!...W-What's _that?!_ " He was still running forward, coming to a halt just behind Phoney as he too came to a sudden stop. Several yards ahead, Fone Bone froze as well. All eyes fixed on the wall of brown and grey sweeping toward them across the desert.

"Ohmygosh...It's a sandstorm!"

Fone Bone started running again; faster than he had ever run in his life, waving his arms and yelling at the top of his lungs. "SMILEY! _RUN!_ RUN, SMILEY!" He could see Smiley and Bartleby more clearly now, down over the next dune. Fone rocketed down into the valley-like wave of sand, before struggling to the top of the second. Smiley was looking up at him, an expression of exhaustion and surprise on his face. He wasn't running, not yet aware of the towering cloud of sand at his back, thundering closer every moment. It was all like it was in slow motion. Fone felt his heart stop, or at least, it felt like it did. His mind was in a blind panic. He knew that right behind him Phoney and Lathan were following close, and his concern for them as well caused him to be torn. He couldn't turn back for them without abandoning Smiley, nor the other way around. But the storm was almost upon them, and Smiley was closest to it. Somehow, that took priority in Fone's mind. He pushed his short legs harder, watching with wide eyes as Smiley suddenly seemed to realize something was wrong. The tallest Bone glanced over his shoulder, startling at the sight he beheld. He started stumbling forward at a run, Bartleby trying to nudge him alone faster.

"SMILEY!" Fone leaped, almost falling as he reached the same stretch of sand as his cousin. He closed the remaining distance between them in seconds, ramming into Smiley so forcibly they almost fell. He ran into his cousin's arms, his panic still high and sharp. He knew there was nothing they could do but brace themselves. "Smiley! Hang on, it-"

The storm hit.


	9. Cliffs and Shifting Sands

The desert was still and silent. All around, for hundreds of miles, stretched nothing but warm, rippled sand; orange in the heated light of early afternoon. The sky, now clear and blue, held no evidence of the sandstorm that had polluted it only a few moments before. Not a wisp remained, only calm sand, calm sky, and calm atmosphere surrounding it. But that was not to last.

With a desperate gasp, Phoney broke the barrier of sand that had gathered on top of him. Thankfully, it hadn't been as heavy as he might have expected, and he had, after a moment of struggling, managed to break through to the surface. Coughing and spitting, he pulled himself up out of the sand, gasping for a decent breath. His lungs ached with the strain, but, at the moment, he didn't care. Right now he was more concerned with finding the others. He took a hurried step forward, his foot all at once going through the sand into a deep spot. Something latched onto him, and, with a desperate yank of hope, Phoney pulled the person up out of the dry, loose dirt.

"L-Lathan?" Not quite who he had been hoping to see, even though he was secretly glad he had found the other Bone. It would not have been good if the fellow had died, even if Phoney was less than happy with his company. But it would have been far worse to be alone.

Lathan shook his head, shaking sand from his hat and tie, blinking to clear a few grains from his eyes irritably. "What...W-What happened?" he sputtered.

"The storm hit us!" Phoney said hurriedly, panicking as he started shoveling dirt aside, searching for his two, buried cousins. While the sand may not have been deep where he had been, the drifts were uneven, deeper in some spots than others. Especially in the place where he was pretty sure his cousins and Bartleby had been standing. The thought of losing them to a heap of sand was unacceptable, as well as perhaps the most frightening thought that had ever crossed his mind.

Lathan spat up some dirt, grimacing at its unpleasant taste, and disliking very much the crunch of grit between his teeth. "Yes, but-"

Phoney cut him off with a frantic shout. "Help me find Fone and Smiley!"

The urgency in Phoncible's voice drove Lathan to fall to work, searching over the drifts for any possible lumps or valleys. He found several, all in a row, none of which proved to house any living soul. The were simply hollow clumps, formed by the strength of the wind. He searched further, without any luck. Then, tripping over a final lump, Lathan felt it shift slightly. He though he heard a muffled noise beneath his feet and, knowing that he had found the others he gave a call to Phoney, who was searching further to the right.

"Here!" he shouted, getting down on his hands and knees, digging quickly and steadily with his hands. The sand was very warm, like a day at the beach, but the horror of what this sand could do to a life form trapped beneath its surface robbed the illusion of its charm. Phoney ran to join him, falling on his knees and digging at a far more frantic rate, calling out encouragement to the buried individuals as he did so. Finally, a white hand, small and desperate, shot upward, followed by a second of the same size, which both Lathan and Phoney grabbed and hauled upward. Fone Bone popped up from the sand like a daisy, spitting and sputtering as he emerged.

Phoney grabbed his cousin's shoulders, shaking them rather roughly in his anxiety to assure himself that Fone was alright. "Fone! Fone, are you alright?!" He looked into the other Bone's eyes, his own reflecting his panic. Fone had his eyes closed, pushing Phoney weakly away from him as he hacked up a little bit of sand. Attached to his middle was Smiley, looking decidedly paler than before, even for his kind, his arms wrapped tightly around his cousin's waist. While Lathan and Phoney managed to pull Fone completely free, Smiley was only dragged halfway out. Bartleby's eyes and nose made an appearance as well, right beside his best friend. Smiley was coughing weakly, breathing heavily, and a bit irregularly.

Fone Bone gasped in the clean air gratefully, alternating by breathing in and coughing out bits of sand. He was a little shaky, one trembling hand moving up to hold his dry throat. It was hard to talk at first, but with a few more coughs, he managed to get his voice working again. "...Yes...I'm fine...Smiley and Bartleby are too...Th-They're alright as well..." He was having trouble getting in enough air while talking, and his last sentence was less articulate. "Dig...out?"

Phoney turned to Lathan, giving a command that left no room for argument.

"Help me."

And Lathan did not argue. They both extended their hands down into the pit of shifting sand that Smiley was still half trapped in. The taller Bone looked quite dazed, and maybe a little unfocused, his eyes squinting up at them without much recognition at first. Phoney latched onto his cousin's arm, pulling him up a little further. Bartleby managed to pull himself up and out, grabbing the back of Smiley's vest and lifting his friend up and out of the sand with ease. Lathan's eyes opened wide at the sight of the creature's might, stepping back with a look of apprehension. He knew that the three Cousins had a pet monster, but he had never met it in person. He had often wondered if it might be a dog made up to look like something strange and different, but now his theory on that was blown to pieces. This was no dog.

By this point, Smiley was sitting on the ground, coming out of his daze with a series of sharp, dry coughs. Fone and Phoney moved to his side at once, patting his back and searching him over for any injuries. He seemed well enough, even if he appeared very weak. Fone patted his back sympathetically, as Smiley coughed up as much sand as he could, just as Fone Bone had a moment before.

"There we go," he encouraged gently. "Deep breaths. Cough it up. Yup. There. There, that's better." Fone passed him the canteen of water he had hurriedly gotten from his sandy satchel. He uncapped it for his cousin, finding Smiley's hold far too weak to turn the stopper himself. Smiley snatched it gratefully, taking in several deep gulps, his muddled brain trying to fight against his first instinct to drink it all. That would leave everyone else with none. Fone watched him worriedly, acknowledging Phoney's own worried glance from Smiley's opposite side.

"Darn it, Smiley," he breathed quietly. "You have to stop doing this to us."

The tallest cousin separated himself from the canteen, taking in a gasping breath after gulping away his thirst. Or, at least, the most pressing thirst. "...S-Sorry..." he stuttered, offering it back. Fone shook his head, pushing it back toward Smiley, implying that he keep it and drink the rest. It wouldn't be enough for anyone else. Besides, Smiley needed it the most, and Fone still had another full canteen in his satchel. He sighed, wanting to reassure his relative.

"No, no; it's fine. It's nothing for you to be sorry about...It's just...You really need to remember to pack food when you head out on a journey, alright?"

"Packed...bread thingies...before."

Fone smiled ever so slightly, realizing that Smiley was trying to give him a weak grin. "Yes, at our reminder," he scolded more lightly. But then his smile faded to a worried frown. "You can't keep almost collapsing from hunger every time we're traveling, Smiley. It'll mess your brain up even more than it already is! Got it?" His voice was a shaky form of teasing again, which prompted the last comment. Smiley picked up on it, and his grin widened ever so slightly.

"G-Got it."

Bartleby sidled up to the three, relief in his large eyes at Smiley's growing improvement. His nose was twitching furiously, catching something on the wind, his breathing tickling the skin of the Cousins almost beneath him. He suddenly stood very stiff, eyes now unblinking. _"Bone...I can sense it..."_ His voice was soft, but easily heard in the stillness around them.

Fone Bone tensed, uncertain of what the rat creature meant, and almost afraid to ask. "Sense what?"

 _"The Valley. It is close."_

Lathan's eyes widened, mostly because he had not been prepared to hear the creature speak. It threw him off and he had trouble comprehending the words the purple monster had spoken until he had stuttered over his own question. "Th-The...The Valley?" He turned to Phoney, clawing almost desperately at the Bone's arm. "What does it mean by that?"

Phoney shook him off distractedly, not even looking at him. "Exactly what it sounds like. How far, Bartleby?"

The rat creature gave the air yet another sniff. _"Several hours. We could reach it by nightfall."_

"How do you know that?" Fone Bone asked, almost tempted to smell the air himself, but stopping himself before he could. Bone noses weren't nearly as sensitive as those of a rat creature. That had been proven to him many times in the past. Bartleby was able to predict rain that was miles away, even when the Boneville weathermen swore up and down that there wouldn't be any. But, he was still curious as to how Bartleby could do so in relation to the Valley.

 _"I am of the_ _Valley,"_ the rat creature explained patiently, large eyes fixing on the questioning Bone. _"I can smell it. Feel it in the air. It is my home...Or was."_

Phoney looked into the hazy distance. Now that the sand had settled, the sun and all its glorified heat had returned, creating wavy lines of vapor on the horizon. His mind mentally groaned, not excited about traveling the distance that stretched before them. "You think you can lead the way?" he asked incredulously. It was so far, he truly wondered if that was even possible, still slightly doubtful that Bartleby could truly sense the Valley from so far away.

Bartleby nodded, his purple ears flapping certainly. _"Yes."_ His bulbous eyes settled back on Smiley, who seemed to be much better than before, but still a bit shaky and pale looking. _"I shall carry Smiley. Until he regains his strength."_

Smiley attempted to get to his feet, wobbling, and without much success. "I-I'm fine," he insisted, trying to bring back some of his usual cheer. He didn't want them worrying. And he wasn't really feeling all _that_ badly. Even though his weak legs and off balance told of otherwise.

Fone griped his cousin's arm before Smiley could tip over and fall, holding him up slightly. "No, you are not," he said firmly, guiding the taller Bone over to the young rat creature's side. "You're riding for now, Smiley." The last thing they needed was him fainting or something. Smiley really hadn't been well before this whole adventure, and each turn of it seemed to be making it worse. Or so it felt.

Despite not wanting to be the one privileged to ride, even when all the others were equally exhausted, Smiley complied without any further argument. "Alright."

* * *

They followed Bartleby's lead, heading further out into the endless desert. The sandy expanse was far calmer now, without hardly even a wisp of wind to be seen or heard. As the sun began to sink into the western sky, the heat became far more bearable. It no longer bore down on them relentlessly, but now gave them a cross between its warmth and the chill of the coming night. Ahead of them, a few stars along the horizon showed that dusk was fast approaching, though perhaps still an hour or so away.

Smiley was feeling significantly better, though his companions still insisted that he stay on Bartleby's back. He occupied himself with looking about, taking in the scenery. It was far more enjoyable now that he wasn't hungry and thirsty. His body was still a little sore, but at least that foreboding feeling had left him. Knowing they were headed back for the Valley somehow fixed all that. He was actually excited to get there. It was almost like home away from home. Maybe even more a home than home in Boneville had been lately. Either way, his carefree, cheerful nature was returning to him, for perhaps the first time in weeks. He breathed in the fresh breeze, away from the thick air of the city. How he had missed it. Even the air on the camping trips with the Bone Scouts had been too close to Boneville to truly be called the 'countryside'. This was real air; real fresh, free air.

Fone Bone watched his cousin carefully, noticing his improvement with relief. Smiley was looking healthier than he had in a long time. In fact, so did Phoney. They both appeared more like...themselves. More like they used to. Fone vaguely wondered if he too was as well. He certainly felt better. But there were still questions he wanted answered. Quickening his pace just a bit, so that he was walking alongside Bartleby, he looked up at his taller cousin inquisitively. "Why did you leave, Smiley? I told you we shouldn't leave until we were sure it was absolutely necessary."

Smiley's mood dimmed just a bit, a look of worried confusion taking its place. "To tell you the truth, Fone Bone, I...I don't even remember leaving Boneville." He scratched the back of his neck distractedly. "It was all like I had just fallen asleep...and then woke up here." He patted the warm, purple fur beneath him appreciatively. "I'm just glad Bartleby was with me, or I would have been all alone."

"Why didn't you come find us?" Phoney asked the rat creature, a little more accusingly than he intended.

Bartleby shrunk back slightly, feeling a little ashamed to admit his mistake. _"I thought of doing so, but it was at the risk of losing sight of Smiley...I figured that that was more important at the moment, and so I simply followed."_

Fone nodded in understanding. He could see the logic in that, even though it certainly hadn't helped circumstances at all. What he couldn't understand was why Bartleby hadn't just sat on Smiley or something in order to stop him. That's what he would have done; not that it really would have worked in his case. Smiley was far bigger than he was. But that was all in the past, so there was no reason to dwell on it. "Well, thank you, Bartleby," he said sincerely. "If you hadn't stayed with him, he might have gotten hurt. So, thank you."

Lathan plodded along behind the cousins nervously, constantly looking back over his shoulder at the direction they had come from. "Why aren't we heading back to Boneville?" he asked, not for the first time, nor the last. He just didn't understand what was going on. He didn't get the serious looks on the three Bones' faces, nor the way that they marched forward with a sense of grim determination. "I know we're lost," he guessed, "but if we just head back the way we came, I'm sure we'll bump into civilization eventually."

"We're not going back to Boneville," Fone replied, no hint of joking in his tone. "At least, not yet."

Lathan opened and closed his mouth like a fish stuck on a beach. "Not going back to-?" He shook his head as if trying to clear it of nonsense, stopping where he stood. "Fone Bone, we are out in the middle of the _desert!_ We won't last long out here! We need to go back!"

"We'll hit civilization soon enough."

"But we're headed the wrong way!" the reporter pointed out in a shaky voice, filled with uncertainty. He started following again, his mind a mix of fear and hesitation. Surely the cousins' secret was not this far out in the desert. Who would be stupid enough to bury treasure, or whatever, this far out in the middle of a giant sandbox?! Unless they really were just crazy. Or dangerous, like the Chairman had said. That thought didn't help Lathan feel any better, and he made sure that he kept several feet behind the Bones and their beast, so that he could keep an eye on all of them.

"Not for where we're going."

Well that was it, wasn't it? They were going to die out here in the desert. This was so not worth the fame and fortune the Chairman had promised him. Lathan accepted his fate, albeit with a pitiful mental whine. _Why him?_ All he ever wanted was to be good at what he loved, and know he was never going to even come close to that. He took his small notepad from a small pocket in the back of his tie. It was worn, having gotten pretty badly crinkled in the sandstorm. Which brought up another point. Sandstorms, at least as far as he knew, didn't happen all that often. What were the chances of one hitting them? Pretty small, and yet it had.

It was just not his day.

"Whoa, wait!" Phoney, who had moved up front, suddenly held his hand out behind him, motioning for them to stop. The others did so, noticing the cause for his urgent command. A chasm, one that had been virtually invisible until they were almost upon it, opened up before them. Shrouded in shadow, robbed of the light of the setting sun, the shear cliffs were made all the more foreboding. The group stood looking at it in silence for a moment, before Lathan once again spoke up.

"What now?" he said incredulously, hands on his hips. He surveyed the drop with the assumption that this meant they would have to turn back. He hoped that they had enough food and water to get back to Boneville.

Fone shrugged off his satchel, bringing it to his front and opening it. He dug around a moment before coming up with a long rope. He was glad he had packed it. He hadn't known what he would use it for, but, after the adventures he had had in the past, he knew a good rope could always come in handy.

Lathan watched him a moment, still content in his fantasy that they were turning back. Until it seemed to hit him what Fone Bone was doing. "Wait...Wait! No, no! We can't climb down that thing! It's too steep! We'll kill ourselves!"

"Don't tempt us," Phoney growled under his breath as he helped his cousin tie the rope to a large, sturdy boulder.

"I fell down it once before," Fone commented, testing the rope's strength. " _Without_ a rope. And I survived. This is a strong rope, it should hold us." He smiled at the rat creature. "Even you, Bartleby." At least, he hoped it would.

"But I-I'm afraid of heights!" Lathan cried, spreading his arms wide in frustration and fear.

Phoney rolled his eyes, finishing off the last knot before standing and stomping over to the cowardly reporter. He poked a finger into Lathan's chest, a little more roughly than necessary. "Listen," he growled, "If you're coming with us, you seriously need to man up! What are you going to do, stay here by yourself? Yeah, good luck with that!"

Lathan pushed the slightly smaller Bone away from him indignantly, smoothing his tie fiercely. "I _am_ manned up, thank you! But I'll tell you what I'm not; crazy like you!"

Phoney almost seemed to physically flinch, his smugness all at once turning to the hurt that he had held before. He had heard that so many times since they had returned from the Valley. He had been called everything from a liar to a lunatic, and each time it had hurt more and more. He had heard it from strangers, the media, the Council, and now this fellow. And he was sick of it. His hurt turned to anger at once, and he pulled back a fist, ready to give Lathan's nose a heavy blow.

But Fone Bone caught his wrist, stopping him with a quick, solid movement. "That's enough of that." Turning to Lathan, all while still holding his cousin back, Fone spoke sternly. "We have to make it down there, we haven't got enough food nor water to make it back to Boneville at this point. I know you don't believe what we say about the Valley, but at this moment, you've got only two choices. Are you staying or coming with us?"

Lathan felt thoroughly chastened. Looking down at his feet, he buried his shame deep inside before looking up and answering. "I'll come."

Fone nodded, turning away and hustling Phoney toward the rope as he went. "We should do smallest to largest, which means you need to go first, Phoney." He backed away swiftly as Phoney became distinctly irritable.

The Bone in question wrenched his arm from Fone's grasp, pulling down on his shirt to get out the wrinkles. "I know that," he snapped. He went over to the rope and snatched it up grumpily, tying it snugly around his waist. He tested the knot, and then positioned himself by the edge of the clifftop. He glanced down into the dark depths below, a bit of his own reluctance surfacing, but he managed to keep it hidden.

Fone, Smiley, Bartleby, and, after a moment, Lathan, all joined holding the rope on the other side. It was a thick rope, which made holding it easy. Fone tested his end once more before exchanging a nod with Phoney. "Ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," his cousin answered, still angered by Lathan's words. He wasn't about to let that go anytime soon. He sent a final glare in the Bone's direction, before truly preparing himself for the climb.

"Alright, we'll let you down easy. Take your time. Hurrying's not worth the drop, believe me." Fone gave another nod and, slowly, Phoney eased himself to the cliff-side.

It was slow going, and it seemed like forever before Phoney had safely reached the bottom, calling up to them that he had made it. Next went Lathan, being the next smallest. He clung to the rope like a leech, and getting him to even step off the cliff-side was a huge undertaking. But finally they managed to get him off, and shortly after, he begrudgingly joined Phoney below. Fone tried not to think about how much of a bad idea that was.

Fone started pulling the slack rope back up to him, Smiley, and Bartleby. "You're going next, Smiley," he instructed, as hurriedly as he could. He knew that Smiley was going to disagree, and he was trying to buld up his resolve before the taller Bone did so.

Smiley snapped his attention to his cousin at once, looking very distressed by that news. "But...I thought you said we needed to go from smallest to biggest? I'm quite a bit taller than you, Cuz." He was feeling much better, and had even gotten off of Bartleby at some point. There was no reason that he should be let down before Fone. "I'm supposed to be last."

Fone Bone shook his head, his mind already made up. "Smiley, the last person will have to climb down without any help from above. That's going to take a lot of strength, which is something you don't really have right now." He started tying the rope around his cousin's waist, but Smiley's hand stopped him.

"Fone Bone," he said gently. "I'm fine. There is no way you can lower me and Bartleby down. You're too small. Now, please, tie the rope around your own waist." He held out his hand with an air of command that Fone still wasn't used to. After a moment, Fone nodded, eyes averted, still hating the idea of leaving his weakened cousin to climb alone. Well, not completely alone. He still had Bartleby. He took the rope from Smiley and tied it to his own middle, albeit a little disapprovingly.

"Be careful," Fone said sternly.

Smiley smiled that cheerful grin that could always bring out the best in people. "Don't worry. I will." He assisted Fone in getting over the edge and then lowered him down. Fone was surprised at just how far it was. He still couldn't believe that he had fallen down this thing once before and survived. It must have been a miracle, because, looking at it now, he just couldn't see how it was possible.

When he felt the rope go slack, and heard Fone shout up to him that he had made it, Smiley pulled the rope back up. "Alright, buddy," he said to Bartleby. "You ready for this?"

 _"Yes."_ It wasn't a very positive yes, but a yes nonetheless.

Looking down the cliff and then at the rope in his hands, Smiley frowned at a new problem. "Hmm, how to do this..." Smiley quickly realized that even Fone Bone, for all his strategic planning, could still make mistakes. Bartleby was not light, and lowering him would not be easy, especially him being the size he was. They should have lowered him first, when they were all able to pitch in to get him down there safely. But now he would have to do that alone. "Okay..." Smiley said. "Okey. Let's try this. I'll tie this to you, and I'll sit on your back. You have strong hands, and together, we can both lower ourselves down. Sound good?" He didn't feel nearly as enthused as he wished he did. It was hard to encourage someone when you just weren't feeling it yourself.

But it actually ended up working quite well. Bartleby was a good climber, using not only the rope, but the cliff-side as well. His sharp claws were a huge help in that respect. All Smiley really had to do was hang on to his friend's back, which was easy with all the thick fur he possessed. Not that it wasn't nerve wracking. Knowing that, should you slip, would more than be your death was not exactly fun to think about. Smiley had to keep reminding himself not to hold on too tightly to his friend's neck, not wanting to choke him, but still fighting the instinct to cling on for dear life. Bartleby didn't seem to mind, and actually purred encouragement of his own to the Bone clinging to his back.

About halfway down, however, was when everything suddenly went wrong.

With a creak and a groan as its only warning, the rope suddenly snapped up by the top with a terrific crack. With yelps of surprise and fear, both the Bone and the rat creature felt the rope go suddenly terribly slack, and they plummeted down into the chasm at a horrific speed. Free falling is a terrible feeling, especially when you know that there is no way that you will survive the impact. The ground was coming up to meet them, a blur of rock and earth.

Below, their friends gave a shout of horror, torn between wanting to try and catch them, and getting out of the way. They could barely comprehend what was happening, having not expected the rope to snap at all. Bartleby was coming first, Smiley quickly following. And it all might have ended very poorly, if not for one quality that not even Bartleby had known his kind possessed.

Righting himself mid-fall by digging his claws into the rock side which was flying by on his right, Bartleby slowed his decent, wincing at the heat and friction of paws against stone. It slowed him enough that Smiley all at once landed on his back once more. They were still falling, though not nearly as fast. Bartleby tried harder, putting all his strength into softening the crushing blow he feared would come. And then, with a jolt, they hit the ground, not terribly hard, as they had been expecting, but still with enough speed to knock the wind out of their lungs. Both tumbled to the ground, breathing hard and slightly shocked, but otherwise unharmed.

Smiley was greeted by three very anxious faces. His mind was in a bit of a daze, unable to truly comprehend that he hadn't just died. Sitting up carefully, he shook his head, clearing the haze, finally gaining his hearing to the worried voices that surrounded him.

"Good grief! Smiley! Are you alright?!"

"That was incredible!"

"Oh, shut up. Is he alright, Fone Bone?"

Smiley, though feeling a little shaken up, turned to Phoney to answer him himself. "I'm...just fine. Just fine." He looked back up at the cliff, eyes widening and voice shaking a little. "Boy, that was a long fall..." He looked down at his creature friend. "Are...are you alright, Bartleby?"

The rat creature flicked an ear in his direction, taking a deep, calming breath. _"A little sore, but I'm good."_

The others all gave sighs of immense relief. Had something happened out there in the wilderness, there would have been no hospitals or doctors they would have been able to see. An injury now might have meant death, in this case. They all pushed that thought as far from their minds as possible, horrified that it had even crossed them.

"I'm just glad you're both OK," Fone muttered, patting Smiley's arm. He shook his head. "I _told_ you to be careful."

Smiley grinned. "Well it's not like the r-" But he suddenly cut off, his gaze shifting from his cousins and Lathan to something in the distance.

They followed his stare, wondering what he saw; fearing that it was yet another danger to endure.

"What? What is it?" Phoney demanded nervously.

Smiley's smile returned full force. "We're almost there! Now _I_ can feel it too!" How that was possible, he didn't know, nor did he care. All he cared about was that the Valley was only a short ways away. And it would feel _so_ _good_ to be back there.

* * *

 **Well, there we go, another chapter.**

 **Please, if anyone wouldn't mind, please pray for my grandfather; he's in the hospital and not doing well. :]**

 **Thank you**


	10. Darkened Valley

Something was off.

No, _everything_ was off. In the Bone Cousins' minds, the Valley was a cheery place, even after all the evil that had once crouched at its door. It was a place filled with lush, green trees, gentle streams, a calming breeze, and fantasies beyond Boneville's wildest dreams. It was a place that grew on you, left its mark on your heart, and as the Cousins had been away that feeling of fondness had grown, even in Phoney. In their imaginations they saw the same forest they had left, calm, gentle, and filled with peace.

But this was not the same Valley.

It couldn't be, but it was. As the Bones came over the large crest of the hill separating the desert and ravine from the Valley, they were met with a sight that nearly robbed them of breath. The pure shock of the contrast from what they remembered the Valley being, next to how it appeared now, was enough to cause the Cousins to stumble back a good three or four steps. Lathan raised a brow at their behavior, before he too caught sight of the land stretching out before them.

This Valley was shrouded in darkness. A dreary, foggy, rainy-looking haze, and yet as dry as black powder. No moisture lingered in the air, just a choking stillness. There were no chirps of crickets, nor singing of birds. Everything was as quiet as a cemetery, and the feeling that surrounded it was much like one too. It was the feeling one might get when they are home alone at night. That feeling that, if you aren't careful and alert, something might just sneak up behind you and end your existence with a single, cruel attack. The trees, gnarled and black against the grey sky, were like claws. The talons of agonized beasts stretching upward, griping at the thick air of the Valley. They appeared to be dead, their bark pealing, as though diseased, and the smell of rotting wood, even from this distance, was quite strong. Above them and looking back, the blue sky of the desert shone out brilliantly. It was as though someone had laid a colored photo alongside one of black and white and grey. The air was cold, chilling, filling one's lungs in a way that caused wheezing with each breath.

But the worst part was the _feeling_. That depressed, hopeless, lonely feeling that thrived in the darkness. It was strong, and hostile. Almost so palpable one might expect to see it in physical form. It was strangling. It was griping. And it was horrible, even to Lathan. But the reporter could see, just by the looks on their faces, that his companions were far more shocked then he was.

"Wha...What's happened here?" Fone Bone had stepped forward, his black eyes blinking in confusion, as though, if he blinked hard enough, it would all go away. The fear on his face was easily readable, and it was mirrored by the expressions of his cousins.

Bartleby had become very still, leaning into Smiley's offered hand as his large, bulbous eyes scanned the world below. _"Something's gone wrong...I sense evil, Fone Bone..."_ His tone was shaky, even more so than Fone's own. After all, the Valley was even more endeared by the rat creature, it having been his birthplace and home, even if he had left it to move to Boneville. The sight seemed to claw at Bartleby's heart, and his soul crumbled under the weight of pure fear and worry that laid itself upon him.

Lathan, not quite as affected as the others, blinked. He hadn't expected to see a Valley at all. Still standing firm in his belief that the Cousins were either lying or crazy, he had assumed that only more desert would stretch before them once they made their way over the hill. But this, though it was indeed a Valley, was nothing like the Bones had described. This was not a place of happiness, and beauty. If anything, it was filled with despair and fear. As far as the eyes could see was dark, desolate gloom, encircled by a range of dark, purple mountains in the distance. "...So, what do we do now?" he spoke up carefully, hesitant to break into the stunned silence.

After a moment of silence, Phoncible clenched his hands at his side, gathering what little courage he had, and started down the crest at a determined stomp. "We head down. There's got to be someone around..." His voice turned slightly hollow. "Maybe they can tell us what happened..."

Fone Bone, Smiley, and Bartleby followed without question, fully determined to solve the mystery as well. Lathan, on the other hand, stood stock still, hesitant to move on. He wasn't sure if he liked this. In fact, he was certain he didn't. He had never had much for instincts. He was never good at reading the moods of situations either. But right now, he could feel...something. Something tangible. It was as though he were being watched. And, though it frightened him, it called him forward. After a moment of indecision, Lathan followed the others, his body curled in on itself as he tried to make himself as small a target as possible. Though from what, he didn't know.

They made their way down into the Valley, which became increasingly foreboding as they went. The grass beneath their feet, once so lush and green, was dry and withered, browned and crispy as they walked over it, cautiously. They came to a stream bed, which was little more than a path of cracked sand and mud. No water ran within it, and the grass on its banks were almost blackened, poisoned by the water that was no longer there. It was like something out of an old, black and white horror movie. The cheesy kind that Smiley sometimes liked to watch. The kind that used stuffed toy bats on wires to flap around and then, with a puff of smoke, become Dracula. Only, unlike those films, the fear and terror here was real. It was in the air and all around them. They felt as though they were walking through a minefield. One false step, and something might happen. Something bad.

Fone Bone was leading the way now, trying to discern where they were, as well as where they needed to go. But the forest seemed so different now. It wasn't at all like he remembered. And the arriving dusk was making it harder. He wished they had planned it so they could have entered the Valley in the morning, rather than with the coming of night. But that couldn't be helped. His senses were on overdrive, ears listening intently, like he had learned by habit the last time he had walked the world of the Valley. And he knew that Smiley, Bartleby, and Phoney would be doing so as well. Fone had entered the Valley just before winter the last time, and so had seen much of this part of the Valley under snow, which made it even harder to distinguish where they stood and where they needed to get to.

"Where are we going?" Lathan's voice called out behind him, and Fone mentally sighed. He felt bad for their extra companion, who would definitely be at a loss as to what was happening. But at least Lathan hadn't wandered in the desert and ended up here alone. To be in this place alone was bone-chilling, even to think about. Fone had an unsettling feeling that they were going to need each other to get through this. Each and every one of them.

"There should be a farmhouse around here somewhere," he called back, though it was more of a loud whisper. He didn't want to call attention to their location. Not that there was really anyone around to hear. The forest was completely devoid of life. No bugs, or mammals, or birds. No sign of Ted, or even Mrs. Possum and the kids. Fone hoped they were alright.

They continued, and, to Fone Bone's relief, passed a few landmarks that he remembered. There was the waterfall, that Fone had fallen down while being pursued by the two, stupid rat creatures. The water still ran here, though significantly more shallow. Its currents were sluggish, browned with mud and dirt. Undrinkable. That emptied into a lake, which was, again, darkened by filth and the grey sky up above.

"We're going to need to find water that isn't contaminated," Phoney spoke up worriedly. "We've only got a little left in our canteen, and it's not gonna last our stay here for more than a night."

Smiley, who was following his two cousins closely, with Bartleby beside him and Lathan behind, looked up from studying the sparse grass at his feet. "I know how to boil dirty water into clean water. If we have to, I can do that." The others gave him a strange look, surprised. Smiley shrugged. "What? I lead the Bone Scouts, remember? I've learned quite a few tricks while camping." He let his eyes rove over the terrain again, rather nervously. "This is a place I'd _never_ take anyone camping though. Not when it's like this..."

It was pretty dark now, and not even the moon gave much light, trapped behind the clouds as it was. All that existed were the silhouettes of gnarly trees and bare boulders. The pale white of the Bones' skin was the brightest things for miles, and stuck out like a sore thumb in the darkness. Like beacons, they were easy to spot, slowly picking their way through the inky black.

"Hey, Mr. Fone Bone," came Lathan's voice again. It was strained, and edgy, as the reporter tried his best to keep up without getting snagged on anything as they made there way through the forest. "I thought you had a flashlight."

Fone cringed slightly. "I do."

"Well, how about we use it?" Lathan continued. "I mean, it's get'n pretty hard to see anything here."

"I don't want to call attention to ourselves," Fone explained, though he neglected to tell their comrade that he was, in fact, holding the flashlight in his hand at that very moment. He had fetched it from his satchel a while ago, but had not turned it on, telling himself he would only do so should the situation call for it. And only then if it was unavoidable. "We don't know what's out there, and we don't want to send out a signal that we're here." He heard Lathan grumble something under his breath, obviously not appreciating his decision. "Don't worry," he assured encouragingly. "I'm sure we're almost to the farmhouse. We can spend the night there." This statement was greeted with silence, which Fone took as consent. But then, only a few steps further into the woods, a surprised cry, followed by a splash, broke the silence and shattered it like glass.

"AH!" _Splush!_

"Lathan!"

Smiley's cry of worry left Fone scrambling back along the line of their procession. Going by Smiley, it was their newest member who had called out, and going by the sound, water was involved. Remembering the disgusting rivers and pools they had already passed, Fone was certain that falling into water of any sort would be a hazard to one's health. Having no other choice, Fone flicked the switch on his flashlight, throwing the entire area into a bright, blinding glow. The Bones and their rat creature companion blinked in the sudden light, it hurting their eyes until they adjusted. Then, and only then, could they see what had happened to Lathan.

The Bone was sitting down at the bottom of a small embankment in a muddied pool, his white skin darkened by the black gunk. His hat was sitting beside him, floating in what little water existed, and his tie was plastered with the stuff. Lathan was looking down at himself in exasperation, taking note that the muck went right up to his chest. The mud felt grimy and slick, slippery as it mushed around and under him like three month old jelly. It oozed between his fingers, warmer than he would have expected.

Seeing that Lathan was alright, Phoney crouched down and offered his hand with a chuckle. "I've heard of getting down and dirty, but I think you've taken it just a little too far."

Lathan glared up at Phoncible, but then took the offered hand, being lifted up and helped out of the indented marsh he had landed in. He grabbed his hat on the way out, before standing on the bank. Cold, wet, dirty, and miserable. "That's why I wanted a flashlight," he growled irritably, dumping water from his hat. "I can't see where I'm falling!" He turned accusingly to Fone, but the Bone Cousin was occupied with his own discovery.

"Hey! This is the spring where I met Thorn!" He looked excitedly to his companions. "I know the way from here! We're almost to the farmhouse!" His words were greeted with relief from Bartleby, Smiley, and Phoney, though Lathan just looked confused. Fone felt rather guilty, but promised himself he'd sit down with Lathan soon and explain things to him a little better. For now, they really needed to get to shelter. And that feeling was growing in urgency with every passing moment. "I'll keep the flashlight on, if you want. Let's try and get there as quick as we can." Speed was the thing now. With all the commotion they had just made, it really didn't matter. If there was anyone around, they knew that they were there now.

There were no objections, and so, breaking into a careful run, the Bones and the rat creature hurried off down a path lined with tries, Fone Bone leading the way again.

* * *

The farm was utterly empty.

Deserted.

It looked run down and worn, as though it had weathered some great, terrible storm. As the Bones and Bartleby carefully edged into the clearing, their nervousness reached a new high. The beam from Fone Bone's flashlight slowly roamed over the outer walls of the thatched-roofed cottage, falling upon several holes that gaped, dark and ominous in its canopy. The fence was mangled, pickets either having fallen over completely, or leaning as odd angles. The barn, whose wood door was hung wide open as usual, also held a lot more hostility than usual. It was like coming home to a trashed apartment. This farm had served as a home to the Bone Cousins more than once, and to see it as it was now was slightly more heartrending than they might have expected.

"H-Hello? Thorn? Gran'ma?" Fone really didn't expect an answer. Their two friends were probably in the city of Atheia, where they spent much of the warmer part of the year. In winter they planned to visit the farm, since it meant so much to them. But Fone felt better uttering their names in this place. Their names belonged here. It was where he had first heard them.

The group edged closer, Fone's flashlight proving that they were completely alone. For some reason, knowing that made it easier to breath. With a dreadful creak, the door to the cottage gave way to Phoney's hand, swinging open listlessly. Again, emptiness was all that greeted them. At least it still held _some_ signs of life. Pottery, cookware, and a few other items still remained in the cottage, things that would come in handy that night. The interior was exactly as the Cousins remembered it. Dirt floors, smoothed and compacted through the years, cobbled stone fireplace, chubby and rounded, and the wooden rafters in the ceiling, dark and filled with shadow. It was cold inside, and the smell of must was slightly more detectable than in times passed. But, otherwise, a far better place than the world outside.

"Well," Fone Bone sighed, either out of exhaustion or relief he couldn't tell. "This will do as a shelter for tonight. Maybe things'll look less gloomy in the morning." He turned to Smiley, who was looking distinctly uneasy. "If we gather some wood, do you think you can build us a fire, Smiley?"

Smiley's face lit up in that expression of assurance that Fone so needed right now. "Sure, Fone Bone! That'll be a cinch!"

"Alright, me and Phoney'll get the wood. Lathan, can you start getting some food out from my satchel?" Fone didn't even wait for an answer. Leaving the flashlight with Smiley, he and Phoney headed back out, the moon's light, shrouded though it was, now being sufficient to see by, at least for their purposes.

Turning to Fone Bone's discarded bag, Lathan crouched, opening the flap, and started sifting through the various items within it. He pulled out several apples, a couple potatoes, and what appeared to be a baggy of precooked chicken. Lathan made a face, but knew that he couldn't be picky in this situation. He decided to put the apples back in the satchel, figuring that they would need _something_ for breakfast. Besides, apples didn't really go with potatoes and chicken. He finished putting them back and had risen to his feet, hands full of their supposed meal, just as Phoncible and Fone Bone returned, their arms laden with twigs and sticks.

"There's a lot of dry brush around," Fone commented, setting his bundle in the fireplace, Phoney following his example. "Going by how brittle everything is, as well as everything else we've seen, I'd say it hasn't rained here in weeks...maybe a month." Which was disconcerting. If he remembered right, this time of year was often scattered with heavy showers for the Valley. He turned to Lathan, taking in their meager meal-to-be. "Not much, huh? When Phoney and I packed we were only worrying about the trip through the desert. We had figured that once we made it here there would be plenty to find to eat." He sighed. "What has _happened_ here? It's like...everything's _dead_..." The word caught in his throat, and the feeling of uneasiness within him grew. But right now, survival was their main objective. He took the items from Lathan. "We can make a stew. It'll make more, and it'll last longer. Phoney? Give me a hand?"

Together the Bones managed to get a warm fire going, which filled the cottage with cheery, orange light. For the first time since their arrival, something seemed normal, and just as it should be. The firelight filled the cottage with a home-like ease, and the gloom outside was momentarily forgotten. Fone and Phoney made quite a nice stew, having fetched water from the farm well. Thankfully, that water was still clean, proving that the underground flow was not affected like the water above ground. Tired from their trip across the desert, and finding a few blankets in storage that were at least dry and not too smelly, they all settled down for the night. They had barricaded the door with the cottage table, ensuring that, should anything try to get in, they would hear it long before it could get through. This ensured that they could all get some sleep, though each Cousin kept a hefty stick by their side, just in case.

Before long, they were all asleep.

* * *

Lathan awoke with a start.

What had jolted him out of such a deep sleep, he didn't have a clue, but he was certainly awake now. Feeling slightly disoriented, it took him a full three seconds to finally realize where he was. He was not at home in his comfy little apartment. He was out in a creepy forest, sleeping in an old, dingy, abandoned cottage. Great. Just his idea of a getaway. He vaguely wondered if it was really all worth it.

Sitting up carefully, he let his eyes rove over his sleeping companions. The Cousins slept side by side, close, as though they were afraid of being separated. The rat creature, Bartleby, was practically glued to Smiley's side, and Smiley had turned to face the purple fur, obviously comforted by its warmth. Lathan had purposefully detached himself from their little clump. He didn't feel comfortable intruding on their tight-knit friendships, and had moved off to the side, closer to the fire. The brush had burned down now to red, glowing embers, and Lathan found he was shivering. He didn't like feeling cold, and now was no exception. Rising slowly, he made it to his feet, setting his little, black hat on his head out of habit.

"If I have to stay here," he grumbled softly to himself. "I at least insist on being warm." He crept to the door, realizing that he would not be able to get through without moving the table. Annoyed, he managed to shift it silently enough, just as much as he needed to slip out through the door. It took a while, but he succeeded, finding himself now standing in the farm yard clearing. Some of the grey clouds above had dissipated, allowing just enough moonlight down to bath the scene in an eerie, faded glow. It was cold out here too, more than was normal for summer. He though he could even see his breath.

He was still in a sort of shock over the fact that the Valley actually existed. His mind tried to reconcile that to all the rumors he had heard about the Bone Cousins. He had been told that they were liars, lunatics. And yet, here was the Valley, big as life, though not anything like the Cousins had described it. But it was there, and Lathan couldn't help wondering why the helicopters the government had sent had not been able to find it. It wasn't all that far from Boneville. It all left Lathan's head in a spin. But the same question kept popping up in his mind. What was the truth behind this place? What had the Cousins really done here? It couldn't be as they had claimed. There couldn't be dragons and demons and princesses. That was all stuff of fantasy. It couldn't be true...could it?

Lathan shook his head, clearing his mind and bringing it back to the task at hand. "I'll just grab some sticks and then go right back in," he told himself. The Cousins would never know. Anyway, it wasn't like they had actually told him he couldn't leave the house. Not in words. Though, common sense told Lathan, just by their actions, that it might not be such a good idea to go out alone in the dark. But, however strong these thoughts might have been, he dismissed them. "They'll never know," he repeated. "This will only take a few minutes." It was better than shivering all night.

It ended up taking far longer than he thought. He couldn't see how Fone could have found so much brush in the clearing, and if he had, then he had taken it all. There was not a twig in sight. Other than a few scrawny things. And so, having no other choice in his mind, Lathan began to wander, scanning the ground as he searched for kindle. Before he even realized it, he was skirting the fringe of the dark, ominous forest. And even then, he was finding that the sticks were far more scarce than Fone Bone had claimed. But Lathan was determined. He went in further. And further. And further. Until he had lost sight of the farmhouse altogether.

"I'll find some tinder if it's the last thing I do, or my name isn't Lathan Baldwin Bone!"

 _"...Bone?..."_

The grating, hissing voice froze Lathan in his tracks. His heart gave a shudder, before it sped up to double the rate it had been only a few moments before. He fervently hoped that it was just his imagination, and that the darkness was just getting to him. But, when another hissing voice answered the first, he knew that that was far from the truth.

 _"He is a Bone."_

 _"Not one of the Three. The Master said nothing of this one."_

 _"Should we capture it?"_

There was a pause, in which Lathan was sure his heart had stopped.

 _"...Yes. Just to be safe. Perhaps the Master can use him to find the others."_

 _"Yes, yes, comrade. Good thinking..."_

There was a rustle of dry brush in front of Lathan, before four, bright, bulbous eyes caught the little bit of moonlight that existed. That was swiftly followed by round, furry heads, and mountainous bodies. Lathan gasped at the sight, what little kindle he had found falling from his shaking hands to land at his feet. He backed away a few stumbling steps, eyes wide and mouth open in fear.

These were rat creatures, he was certain. The large eyes, purple fur, and shape were just like Bartleby. Only these were far larger. And something in their gaze frightened Lathan. With Bartleby there was nothing but care and kindness in those big, round eyes, but in these...he couldn't quite place it. Hatred? Hunger? Cruelty? He wasn't certain, but he knew he didn't like it.

The creature on the left tilted its head to the side, studying the terrified Bone before it. Its eyes bore into Lathan, that hunger growing. _"You will come with us, small mammal...The Master has plans for which he may find a use for you..."_

Lathan didn't like the sound of that at all, and his brain finally kicked back into gear. His mind sent a very strong message to the rest of his body, practically screaming it through his veins. _Don't just stand there! Run! RUN!_

The rat creatures pounced, just as Lathan sprang to the side, resulting in the two getting tangled and falling to the ground with a resounding _Whump!_ By the time they were back on their four, clawed feet, Lathan was racing through the underbrush, running back to the safety of the cottage as fast as he could go. But his legs were short, like most Bones, and it wasn't long before he could hear the crash of heavy, monstrous bodies behind him. And they were gaining fast. Putting all his energy into running, Lathan jumped over stumps and logs, surely breaking some kind of sprinting record in Boneville. Twigs and branches clawed at him, and he even felt some cut into his legs, but he didn't care. He was being hunted, and that fueled him with a desperation he had never known.

Suddenly, he was in the clearing. He could see the silhouette of the farmhouse, its windows gently lit by the glow of dying embers. His heart leaped at the sight, the smallest spark of hope returning.

"HELP! FONE BONE! SMILEY!" he screeched, stumbling slightly before finding his footing again. At this rate he'd even be happy for Phoncible's assistance. "ANYONE HELP! _HELP!_ "

He had no idea if they heard him or not, but he was almost there. Halfway across the clearing, and the door was now easily visible. He was going to make it. He was going to m-

The sharp claws wrapped around his ankle, pulling him back with a jolt. He cried out in horror, hitting the ground with a hard slam, knocked dizzy by the impact...

* * *

 **Fear not, I have not given up on this story! Sorry for the delay, my grandfather has been in the hospital for the last few weeks, and life has been crazy here. But it looks like everything is fine now, so everything will hopefully be returning to normal. Thank you so much for your patience! ;)**

 **I'm so excited that the Bones are finally back in the Valley! Everything before this was kind of the set up, so now the real adventure begins!**

 **I'm finding that I'm starting to grow fond of Lathan. I don't usually like writing OCs, but he's growing on me a little. :)**


	11. Sleep Never Comes To Some

**Hi everyone! Agh, gosh, where do I even begin to apologize for taking so long. I've gone and done it again; started to many stories for me to keep up with. But, rest assured, I never leave a story unfinished for forever. Eventually, I get back to all of them. And, well, I was feeling a little bit like writing me some Bone tonight, and, well, this is the result. So, enjoy! And thank you all for your amazing patience!**

* * *

Fone Bone awoke with a start, momentarily confused as to where he was and what had awoken him so abruptly. Everything was dark, and though he could have been virtually anywhere, he somehow knew he wasn't in his bed in Boneville. His eyes darted around the musky smelling surroundings, his mind beginning to catch up just as he spotted Smiley, Bartleby, and Phoney at his side.

They were back in the Valley.

More than that, they were back in Gran'ma Ben's old farmhouse. But that still didn't answer the question as to what had woken him u-

" _HELP!_ "

Before he had even managed to fully shake the mental cobwebs from his head, Fone jumped to his feet, his experiences in the world of the Valley coming back to him instinctively. His reflexes were faster than most, and his past adventures had sharpened that skill to an almost mastering degree. He was already heading for the door, his voice rising in the darkness as a urgent shout.

"Guys! Wake up! _Now!_ "

With a snort and a gasp, his cousins and Bartleby snapped awake, thrashing their limbs to get untangled from their blankets, but responding just as quickly to the call as Fone had. Smiley even had the forethought to grab a poker from the fireplace. Of the three of them, the taller Bone knew how handy a weapon could be in battle.

Fone Bone made it to the door first, grabbing the handle and giving the old, wooden frame a sharp jerk. Moonlight flooded his vision, causing him to blink, despite it not being all that bright; but it did not obscure his view of the scene playing out before him.

Rat creatures, large and hissing, were no more than twenty paces from the door of the cottage. Their big, bulbous eyes kept catching the moonlight, sending off what almost looked like sparks as the light reflected. They were far larger than Fone Bone remembered, though that might have been because, for the past year, he had only been around Bartleby. And though their rat creature friend was of considerable size, the cousins had long since forgotten that he was still very young, and apparently not full grown.

But it was not the sight of the rat creatures that jolted the Bone into action; it was the sight of Lathan Bone squirming around on the ground, using his trembling hands to try and push away the claws of the beasts trying to grab him.

To his credit, Lathan was putting up quite a fight, legs kicking and arms flailing to the point that the rat creatures seemed reluctant to grab him. But that only lasted a moment. Lathan let out a gasp and a cry as the braver of the to beasts snatched forward, grabbing tight hold of the Bone's exposed neck.

"HEY!" Fone was pretty sure he had never yelled so loudly in his life. Well, not since leaving the Valley anyway.

The rat creatures blinked, turning their enormous eyes on the Bone standing just outside of the cottage door. The moonlight caught the glass-like orbs fully now, making them appear to be glowing a blood crimson. Fone Bone gulped.

"W-Why don't you pick on someone your own size!" It was cliche. He knew it. But it was really the only thing that came to him mind at the moment.

Smiley and Phoney ran up behind him just as the rat creatures gave a threatening hiss, the one dropping Lathan before both creatures were racing for the door and its occupents.

"Holy-" Phoney probably would have sworn, the pure terror that filled him at the sight of two, deadly creatures leaping for him and his cousins. And, frankly, no one would have blamed him for doing so in the least. But the words never fully left his mouth, as, with a horrid hiss of his own, Bartleby leaped over their heads, out the door and landed square in front of the two charging beasts.

The larger animals let out shrieks of surprise, crashing into the smaller rat creature, all three tumbling to the side in something that very much resembled a cat-fight. Bartleby began tearing into the older, more experienced monsters, putting his usually harmless claws and teeth to good use. Fortunately, it was enough to keep the rat creatures' attention away from the cousins. Unfortunately, they had far larger teeth and claws.

Smiley had to stop himself from rushing forward to help his animal-like friend, a flash of concern flitting across his face. But he knew that getting between the three fighting beasts would more than likely sign his death. Bartleby was giving them time, and they needed to utilize it to the best of they ability.

"Come on!"

Fone Bone led his cousins out into the moonlight, feet brushing cold against the moisture that had gathered in the grass. Sounds of hissing and growling became a background cacofony as the Bones raced over to their companion.

Lathan was still gasping for air when Fone Bone slid to his side, kneeling to check him over while Phoney and Smiley kept glancing to a different section of the clearing. Lathan could barely make out a veil of noise coming from that direction, but the ringing in his ears and pounding in his head prevented him from deducing exactly what it was. Even Fone's voice seemed muffled.

"Lathan! Lathan?! Come on, get up!"

Hand gripped him, pulling him to his shaky feet, and then they were running again. Running; the movement making his all the more dizzy and naseous. All he wanted to do was sit for a moment, let the pain pass. But the minute he began to try and drag his feet he was pulled roughly forward, prevented.

Phoney glanced up from his shared hold on Lathan Bone's arms. He and his cousins were running full speed back in the direction of the cottage, for lack of a better shelter. It wouldn't be much, but it was better than being out in the open.

Lathan was muttering something, seeming dazed, and Phoney held back a curse as the Bone's legs nearly gave out. Even with his cousins' help, Lathan was nearly a dead weight. He gave a non-too-gentle tug forward and that seemed to do the trick; though he winced slightly when Lathan cried out in protest.

They were almost to the door.

Wet grass turned to cobblestone flooring as the cousins and their burden raced in through the old threshold, gasping for breath and steadying a moaning Lathan. Smile let go of his hold the minute they crossed inside, allowing Fone and Phoney to finish the job, instead running back to the door to give a sharp, commanding cry.

"BARTLEBY!"

The smaller rat creature's ears perked up, then flattened just in time to escape losing them to one of his adversary's claws. He ducked and dodged the other beasts' talons easily, his youth enabling him to be quick and agile. A few more dodges, and a final raving of his claws across the hide of his enemy, and Bartleby was up and racing for the door and his friends. The two rat creatures, snarling, rose up, following right on his heels.

Smiley braced himself, one hand beckoning frantically as he practically squirmed in place, as though that would somehow turn the situation in their favor. His other hand gripped the door knob, sweaty fingers gripping it so tight that his knuckles creaked under the intensity.

"BARTLEBY, _NOW!_ "

In what was surely the most well timed stunt in history, Bartleby gave a mighty leap, just barely missing the gnashing teeth of his pursuers as he soured up and over Smiley's head as the Bone ducked, his clawed feet sparking against stone as he landed within the cottage. During the leap, when his friend was in mid air, Smiley pulled with all his might, closing the door with a speed that defied most laws of science that he knew of. As Bartleby landed, the door slammed shut, followed almost immediately by the thundering sound of two, full grown rat creatures rubbing up against its surface.

The pure force of the blow nearly threw the door and Smiley three inches, purple fur and claws making its way into the crack between the door and the wall, before Fone Bone lurched forward, adding his weight against the door at Smiley's side. Their combined energy, edged on by fear and desperation, was somehow enough. Fur tore as the door slammed back shut, causing the beasts outside to recoil. Though, surely, not for long.

There was a shriek, and a bit of noise as claws raked against the wood; one of the creatures must be trying to pull its furry hide free of the door. The frame rattled loudly, and it was all Fone and Smiley could do to keep the door from opening any more than a fraction with each buck of the beast.

"What were you thinking?!" Phoney yelled, kneeling as he assisted Lathan to a sitting position; his helpfulness completely opposite his harsh words. When Lathan merely blinked in dazed confusion, the smallest cousin gave a growl, pushing away and running to add his weight to the door as well. Together, the three managed to hold the door a little more steady. But Phoney could just as easily berate someone from afar as he could from up close.

"Why'd ya even go outside?!"

Lathan managed to gain enough awareness to realize he was being scolded. By Phoncible, no less. His fear and frustration came out as one, directed at the shortest cousin heatedly. "That's no concern of yours!"

"The _heck_ it is!" Phoney gritted his teeth as he strained against the door, trying to keep it closed. His feet kept slipping in the dirt of the floor, making his heart sink with each inch of lost ground. His voice cracked, strained to the limit as he gave a commanding bark. "Get _over_ here and _help us!"_

The true urgency of the moment washing over him, Lathan stumbled to his feet, rushing to place himself beside his companions, his face still flushed with anger against Phoney's accusations. "You're not the boss of me!" He panted, trying to think of a stinging comeback, but all that came out was a pathetic excuse. "I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk!" His blood boiled at the other's sarcastic reply.

"Oh! Yeah! _Great_ idea!"

Sweating and shaking, eyes blown wide and adrenaline raging through them, the Bones tensed in anticipation of the next attack as the first settled to a dull raging. The beasts had regained their freedom from the doorjamb long since, and the sounds of clawing paused, like a calm before a storm. At any moment, any _second_ , they expected the opposing weight to return, and there would be literally nothing they could do against it. Their panic was lending them speed and strength, but that was no advantage against creatures so much bigger than themselves. They expected the rat creatures to tear through the wall, ripping down their only barrier against them. It wouldn't take much. The beasts had done so once, all those many, many adventures ago. Back when Thorn was still nothing but an innocent farm girl, Gran'ma Ben an old woman, and the cousins simple lost travelers. Back then, it had been Gran'ma who had saved them.

She was not here to do so now.

Tense and breathing hard, the Bones and their rat creature companion waited in doomed silence, expecting at any moment for the blow to come, in a shower of wood and splinters.

But the blow never came.

There was a fair amount of hissing, along with the pacing of clawed feet against dirt and stone, but that was all. The sound of the creatures' fury shifted from one side of the door and wall to the other, the beasts prowling but never striking. Then, after a time, even those sounds disappeared, growing first faint, then nonexistent. Pretty soon, all that was left was the rustle of wind in the leaved trees outside, and the frightened panting of those within the small, abandoned cottage.

Still leaning shaking limbs against the door frame, Smiley and Fone looked to one another, sweating and chilled by the cooling ebb of their fear.

"I...I-I think they've...gone?" Smiley's tone was hushed and hoarse. "I don't...hear anything."

Fone Bone nodded dizzily, the rush of adrenaline wearing off and making him feel ill. He waited a moment longer before he allowed himself to slump down against the wood of the door, back sliding down until he was sitting. Smiley mirrored his actions. "Neither do I."

"What is _wrong_ with you?!"

The shout made the two Bones jump, eyes flitting up to a very wrathful Phoney and a cringing Lathan. Both were still standing, shaking, though more now with anger than fear; though the fear certainly had something to do with it. Phoney was rarely this upset anymore, but Lathan had somehow pushed his limits.

"You could have gotten killed!" the small Bone nearly thundered, pushing away from the door to stand stiff, with hands fisted at his sides. "Heck, you could have gotten us _all_ killed!"

"Well, I didn't! So just back off!"

"STOP IT!"

Fone Bone was up and between them in an instant, forever the moderator. His strong command froze the two feuding Bones in place, and silenced everyone until Fone had managed to reign in his wave of anger. He continued in a considerably softer voice. Though it was dangerously low. "Enough, Phoney. Lathan didn't know. How could he? We never told him about the dangers that reside in the forest. He isn't at fault."

Phoney looked slightly cowed by his cousin's words, though it barely showed. He quickly fixed his posture to bring himself to as close to Fone's height as possibly. "Fault, smault. We didn't even know there were still rat creatures in this stupid Valley!"

"Exactly." Fone eyed him sternly. "So no one is at fault. Happy?"

With a disgruntled "no", Phoney crossed his arms, frowning to the side like a pouting child. But Fone paid no attention to that, however. Turning his back on his sulking cousin, Fone shifted his attention to a fully intimidated Lathan. He forced his voice to be calm and gentle. Lathan had just been through a bad fright. Fone should know; he still remembered his first time coming across the monsters of the Valley. There was no use in trying to yell. That would only make things worse.

"You alright?"

Lathan nodded, still dazed. His eyes were comically wide, even more so than his companions, and his mouth hung open in a mix of stunned silence and terrified paralysis. Now that his anger had died off, his terror, and the memory of that terror, returned. His mouth felt uncommonly dry, and his limbs felt weak and frail. It was all he could do to remain standing.

"W-What...What were th-those things!"

"Rat creatures," Smiley supplied, carefully getting to his own feet with Bartleby's help. "Like Bartleby. Only bigger. And less friendly." He said it so matter-of-factly.

Lathan blinked at how calm the cousins seemed to be. Calm, in that they were shaking and sweaty like him, but weren't completely immobilized. They had been scared, yes. Even Lathan could tell that. But a certain, stubborn courage hung on them like residue.

With a shuddering sigh, Lathan took off his little, black derby, running a hand along his head in agitation. "W-Will they be back?"

"I don't think so. They would have done so by now. They could be going to get some reinforcements, but that doesn't seem right." Fone shook his head at their pitiful, ragtag group. "It's not like we're that much of a chore to beat."

"So what scared them off?" Phoney chimed in, his interest in the conversation overriding his stubbornness to keep sulking silently.

Fone Bone shrugged. "Don't know. But I don't think we should hang around to find out. If they're scared of it, we probably should be too." Though he doubted very much that fear had been the force to drive the rat creatures away. Like he had said, it wasn't like four Bones and one, small rat creature were that big of a challenge. Then again, he could be wrong. He could be wrong about a lot of things.

"We'll leave at first light," he concluded. "As soon as the sun starts coming up, we;ll take what we can carry and leave."

Phoney crossed his arms once more, once again dissatisfied. "To where?"

"To wherever isn't here. Now, come on. Let's see what we can find here for provisions."

Fone turned to start searching, the others slowly following in his wake. Lathan stayed a few seconds longer before the door, using it to brace his balance and whirling thoughts. Phoney gave him a final glare and a grumble that sounded uncommonly like 'idiot', before he too moved on from the incident.

"We need some light now, I think," Smiley said, the sound of his ruffling about before the dim light of the room became slightly less dim in the glow of a candle. "I might be able to get the fire back up and going again too. Unless you think I'll draw attention." He looked to Fone, as though for permission.

Fone shrugged. "I think it's quite obvious to the entire forest that we're here. Go'n ahead and make a fire, Smiley. It's okay."

Lathan gave a snort of derision, still upset over the whole ordeal. He pushed away from the door himself, before the anger on his face quickly turned into one of pain. A sharp hiss made its way through his teeth as he suddenly found himself clutching his right hand over his left wrist, tightly. Without even looking, he would have known he was bleeding, just by the warm, wet throb beneath his fingers. But he did look, and so saw it first hand.

Smiley was at his side before the hiss had completely left his mouth, prying his shaking fingers away to have access to the wound. Fone turned back, realizing something was wrong, as did Phoney, boths' hearts dropping at the sight.

"How bad is it?" Fone asked.

"Not...too bad." Smiley's answer was more cheerful than it should have been, as though he were trying to hide his true thoughts on the subject, but he was at least partially right.

The 'wound' was more of a scratch. Or three nasty scratches, made by three very nasty claws. The blood looked so dark and red against his pale, white skin, and even in the dim light of the cottage it was easy to see the mess of stain it was creating. Lathan continued to squirm and hiss with each gentle movement Smiley made.

"Bet it stings, though," Smiley commented.

Teeth gritted and eyes watering slightly, Lathan gave him a nod of agreement.

No one had noticed that Phoney had already gathered the leftover water from their stew, what they hadn't used, and brought it over. He handed Smiley a rag as well, not looking Lathan in the eyes, but clearly subdued from his anger just before.

It took only a short time for the wound to be all cleaned up. Lathan had yelped and squirmed all the more, but he had good reason, Smiley supposed. The fellow was from the city, as they had always been. Life in Boneville was pretty cozy. One didn't often meet with injuries, like those often obtained through adventure. Smiley remembered when he had first arrived in the Valley. He had been little more than a village idiot back then. His life had comprised of making jokes and pulling stupid pranks. It had always been all he needed back home. But as his adventures in the Valley with his cousins had carried on, he had become more and more aware that life wasn't a game. People got hurt; he had seen it. He'd been hurt too, to a degree. He'd even seen his own cousins get hurt, and it had wiped away every ridiculous notion about life he had ever had up until that point. He still knew how to have fun. But he also knew how to be serious.

He figured it was much the same with Lathan. Life in Boneville was not life in the Valley; especially when adventure was involved. Vaguely, Smiley wondered what kind of person this adventure would make Lathan into.

"There you go! Good as new."

Lathan looked down at his bandaged wrist. "It's...certainly colorful." They had had no choice but to use his necktie as a bandage, to stop the flow of blood and keep the wound clean. But it still felt a little...silly. Or, at least, like a waste of a perfectly good Christmas present.

Fone Bone smiled, clapping his hands together as though preparing for a great project. "Okay. Like I said before; let's see what we can find here for provisions."

Turned out there really wasn't all that much more in the old farmhouse that was salvageable. There were the few blankets they had already found, and a bit of very dry bread that even a starving man would have had a tough time choking down. Plenty of pottery resided in a cupboard, but the travelers had very little use for that. In the end, they finished they scouring with very little reward; coming up with only the blankets and a few extra water sacks. They might starve, but they wouldn't die of thirst.

"We should try and get a little sleep, at least," Fone directed, when they had all rejoined in the cottages center with their meager findings. "The rat creatures won't attack more than once in a night; I'm sure of it."

Bartleby hissed in agreement. _"True. True, they will not. I do not sense any of my kind for a very great distance. Not at all."_

"And just how big a range of a sniffer have you got?" Lathan questioned, sitting on a dusty, grey stool by the now empty fire. He felt rather then saw the glare Phoncible gave him.

Smiley took up the answer, even though he himself was only guessing. He could still feel the hostility between his cousin and Lathan, and was hoping to make as light a conversation as he could. "Oh, Bartleby can sense things for miles. Like he could sense the Valley from the desert."

"Then, Bartleby," Fone interjected carefully. "Maybe you can keep watch? You know, just to keep up the alert?"

The young rat creature nodded its furred head eagerly. _"I can do that. I have slept all I have need to."_

"I'll stay up with him," Smiley added quickly. When he saw Fone open his mouth to protest, he added even quicker, "I'm really not tired. We can switch off. Do shifts."

It wasn't that bad of an idea.

"Sure." Fone Bone sounded reluctant. But, in all honesty, he was exhausted. Exhausted and frustrated. Frustrated by their return to the Valley not being anything like he had envisioned. The place, though it had once held its horrors for him and his family, was a place he thought of very fondly. He had sensed it was in trouble, but nothing like he had witnessed so far. Where was everyone? The people; the animals; the very nature of the Valley? It seemed to have all been choked out, and it frustrated Fone because he had no idea how or why. And he was exhausted from trying to figure it out.

"Sure," he concluded more strongly. "Wake one of us when you get tired and we'll switch off."

"Okey-dokey. 'Night."

"Night, Smiley."

The Bones settled down for the night, returning once again to the messed up sheets and blankets of their beds. Smiley settled at Bartleby's side over by the door, watching his animal friend as his ears and senses worked to keep them safe. Before long, he could hear the sounds of light snoring, the kind that is only little puffs of air against a folded arm. Lathan was a little bit louder than Fone Bone, which Smiley found funny, since Lathan was smaller. Just about Phoney's height.

And speaking of Phoney...

"I know you're awake."

Smiley's voice was soft, even lower than a whisper, but it somehow carried a fair amount of disapproval. There was a moment of silence before Phoney sat up with a frown.

"How can you tell?" he whispered back, a little too hoarsely. Fone Bone groaned in his sleep and turned over, before his soft snoring continued. Phoney lowered his voice, asking again. "How where you able to tell?"

Smiley shrugged. "Just can." He watched as his cousin nodded, the older seemingly uncertain of what to say next. Smiley could tell something was on his mind. "Want to talk?"

"'Bout what?"

"I don't know. Lot's happened in the last few days. And I don't even remember the first part of it." Smiley's half smile dropped. "I...don't really like that."

Phoney, for all of his greedy, selfish life in the past, could always tell when there was something wrong with his family. After a blink, he carefully rose from his blankets and crept past their sleeping companions. He gave Bartleby a rare and comforting pat on the back as he slid down to sit beside his younger cousin.

"Don't you remember any of it? I mean, you walked right out of the city and into the desert, Smiley...That's kinda hard to not remember."

Smiley curled his legs up to meet his chest, wrapping his arms and locking them around his knees. "And yet...I don't...It's just like..." He broke off, gnawing anxiously at his lip.

Phoney cocked his head, now even more concerned. Impatient, but concerned. "It's like what?"

"Like just before all that darkness came into our apartment back in Boneville. After you guys got back from the meeting and all. It just feels like..." He shuddered. "Like we're being watched."

Phoney shuddered too. He didn't want to admit it, but, now that they were the only ones awake, he felt very much the same way. "And you...you think its... _him_."

Smiley opened his mouth, but no answer came to him. He ended up just shaking his head. "I don't see how it could be."

"Yeah. Me either."

"But...something's wrong."

"Yeah. I know, Smiley."

"And it's getting worse."

"I know." His voice was tight now, and Smiley glanced down to him worriedly.

"Are you alright?"

No. That was what he wanted to say. But, instead, he answered, "Why wouldn't I be?" He always had to make it difficult, didn't he.

Smiley shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I don't know. You're not sleeping, for one thing."

That caught Phoney by surprise. "W-What?"

"You're not sleeping. Nightmares. Right?"

Phoney lowered his gaze, slightly embarrassed. "...Yessss." He breathed the answer like a hiss. Like it pained him to admit. He allowed his true exhaustion to show, dropping his head down into the palms of his hands. "That's right...I forgot you witnessed that." He couldn't believe he had forgotten that Smiley had been there the other night when he had woken up kicking and shouting.

Smiley nodded sagely. "It's alright though; you didn't wake me up. I've been having them too."

Yes. Now that Phoney was thinking about it, Smiley had already told them that. And, from the sound of it, he had been having them for a heck longer time than he had. Phoney couldn't think of anything else to say but, "Sorry. Wish there was something I could do."

Again Smiley nodded. "I think we're already doing it."

"What'd ya mean?"

"I mean, coming here to the Valley feels...right. Somehow. You know? I think we're going to find the answers here."

Phoney shrugged eyes drooping but to afraid of nightmares to let them fall. "Yeah. Maybe." He hoped so. They sat in silence a moment, before Phoney gave a light cough. "Um...Is it alright if I sit up with you two? I mean, just until I get, ya know, sleepy?"

Smiley gave a very soft chuckle. "Sure."


	12. Stepping Out

**Here we go, another chapter! A little short, but I wanted to post _something_ , you know? I'm starting my time at a new college on Tuesday, so posting for all of my stories will probably slow to some degree. Alrighty; enjoy!**

* * *

Fone Bone had hoped he would dream. He had hoped that answers would come in the night in the form of the Great Red Dragon explaining to him what was wrong. Or, at least, give him some half riddled answer. That would have been something to work with. But, as he had slipped into slumber, the Bone knew immediately that he would be having no such experience. His sleep was dark and dreamless, and he was consciously aware of it. He felt lost and empty, and if he did, in fact, call out, even if it was in his mind, there was no answer. Just darkness and silence. Terrible silence.

A shaking finally broke through to him, and Fone Bone opened his eyes with a groan. He blinked, clearing the sticky tiredness from his eyes before he looked up to see who had awoken him.

Smiley sat crouched by his side, looking very apologetic. Even in the dim light of early morning, Fone could see the dark circles beneath his cousin's eyes, and that was worrying.

"It's daybreak, Fone Bone," the taller informed in a whisper. Sunlight, pale and darkened by the continually grey clouds made that fact disputable. "We should get a move on before more trouble finds us."

"M'key..." Fone pushed himself up, stiff from sleeping on the floor. He twisted his spine, disappointed when it didn't help loosen him up. "Let's wake Lathan and Phoney."

"Phoney's already up.''

Fone Bone blinked, finally coming to full attention. He took a quick glance around himself, seeing that, indeed, Phoney's bed was empty. But he was also nowhere in sight. He felt a prickly of worry run down his spine. "Then...where is he?"

"Outside."

"Outside?!"

Lathan moaned, rolling over, and Fone lowered his voice, despite the fact that they would be waking up their companion in a moment anyway. Might as well let him sleep as long as he could, especially after what had happened the night before.

Smiley held out a soothing hand, pushing slightly to keep Fone Bone from making too big of a scene. "It's alright. I'm watching him."

Fone Bone realized that was true. His taller cousin was indeed crouched at his side, but only now did Fone notice what an odd angle he was leaning. Fone followed Smiley's gaze to the closest window, which was now open. Smiley answered his question before he even asked it.

"I can see him from here. He's fine."

Fone gave a final groan as he made it to his feet, taking a glance toward the outside world himself. He dusted himself off, a scowl of worry and frustration ghosting across his face. "But the rat creatures could come back," he hissed. "What's he even doing out there?"

Smiley looked uncomfortable. He started heading over to Lathan, gripping gentle hold of the fellow's shoulder, preparing to shake him awake as well. "Visiting someone," was all he said.

"Visiting som-" Fone Bone broke off, a look of surprise now replacing his expression. His gaze shifted back to the window with a snap, a hazed sense of understanding settling in his mind. "Oh."

He really hadn't been expecting that. In fact, with a weak sense of shame, Fone realized he had nearly forgotten.

"I'll go get him if you want," Smiley offered quietly, rolling Lathan back and forth under his hold as the smaller Bone groaned and tried to push him away in his sleep.

Fone Bone shook his head. "No...No, I'll go."

Smiley nodded, turning his full attention to Lathan. A few more shakes, maybe a little more insistent, would probably do the trick. Fone didn't wait around to see. Bracing himself, he walked over to the door, opened it, and stepped out into the farmyard.

It was a lot colder than he would have expected it to be. Inside, the pitiful fire they had managed had kept the chill out, but outside, in the dampness of the morning, he could even see his breath. Dew, freezing and wet against his feet, made him inhale sharply, his senses already on high alert. His eyes tracked the forest line, easing over every bush and tree trunk, ready to spring to action should he see anything of danger. But there was nothing.

Nothing but Phoncible P. Bone standing stock still on the far side of the yard, over by the trees. A little close to the forest for Fone's liking, but obviously not in immediate danger. Fone would have liked to have chided his cousin for his recklessness, but, as he neared, the expression on Phoney's face wiped that from his mind.

Fone came up behind him, slowly, eyes flitting between his cousin's back and the plot of ground Phoney was staring at. He stopped, standing there, trying to muster the courage before he finally spoke.

"It hasn't changed much, has it." It wasn't really a question; more a state of fact.

Phoney didn't startle, but only half turned so he could look his cousin in the eyes for a brief moment. Fone noticed that he too had dark circles under his eyes, and wondered if either of his cousins had gotten any sleep at all. "It's only been, like what? A year? Things don't really change all that much in a year."

"A year and a half," Fone corrected automatically, wincing at his own words. He wasn't trying to sound particular. But it really had been a year and a half; he had counted every day. He had missed Thorn terribly at first, not eating or sleeping much. But, as time had passed, he had finally realized that they were back home, where they should be, and he had blocked off as much of the ache in his heart as he could. But he had still counted. Every day, hour, and minute.

Phoney sighed, rubbing at his arm uneasily, his gaze returning to the grassy indentation before them. "It still seems hard to believe we lost him," he commented softly. "I just assumed we'd all make it." The notion almost seemed silly now.

Fone Bone let his gaze fall to rest on the quiet grave. "I think we all did. But, that's the thing about real adventures verses the ones in stories. Happy endings aren't always...completely happy."

"Heh. I'd say ours so far hasn't been very happy at all."

Fone felt a twinge of concern for his cousin. Phoney sounded almost defeated. Which, in a way, was understandable. Of the three of them, Phoney had been hit the hardest by the ruthless taunts and degrading comments from both the media and the Council. He had seemed to stand pretty firm against them, but now, now that Fone was really looking, he realized maybe Phoney hadn't been taking it as well as he had thought.

"Maybe that's because we haven't reached the end of our adventure yet."

Phoney was quiet a moment, before he gave a low, quiet chuckle. He turned to face Fone Bone fully, his face a mix of pained amusement and helpless bitterness. "You always have some kind of hope, don't you?"

Fone blinked, before shrugging and glancing away. "Not always."

The smallest cousin's expression softened, gaze returning to the grave. "He never liked me," he stated bluntly. "And I never liked him." A hint of pain spread through his tone. "Then _why_ did it hurt so bad when we lost him?"

"Maybe you didn't hate him as much as you thought," Fone tried. He sighed, reaching out to take Phoney by the hand, pulling him toward the farmhouse with a slight tug. "We should get back. It's not safe out here."

Phoney nodded slowly, giving the grave a final glance before allowing himself to follow Fone Bone's lead.

Behind them, a gentle breeze shifted the grass over the grave of Lucius Down. It was a quiet resting place, so hard to spot that no stranger would even know it was there. There was no marker or stone to indicate the spot. It wasn't made to declare his final stead. It was meant to be found by only those who had counted him a friend.

And, disputed or not, Phoney had always been the one to find it easiest.

* * *

Lathan threw the last of their supplies back into Fone Bone's satchel, as Smiley had directed him. He did so at the table, glancing out the window every few minutes, trying to guess what was going on between the two cousins outside. His natural, nosy nature wished that he could hear them, but the distance made that impossible. He resided to merely trying to read their body language, coming to the conclusion that Fone Bone seemed sympathetic and worried, while Phoney just seemed...unlike himself. But that was all he could determine from his place inside the house.

"They're coming," he informed Smiley, seeing that the two were again headed in their direction. He packed supplies with more vigor, pretending that he didn't care that they had been gone in the first place.

Smiley nodded, finishing rolling up the last of the blankets and strapping it carefully to Bartleby's back. "You sure you can take all this stuff, Bartleby?"

The rat creature gave his version of a reassuring smile. _"Yes. It will be of no hindrance to me. You will need these blankets later. It is cold."_

The door to the cottage opened, allowing Fone Bone to slip in with an unusually quiet Phoney following right behind. Fone closed the door, taking the satchel from Lathan's offering hand as he passed.

"We ready?"

"Just about." Smiley finished testing the pack on their rat creature friend's back. It seemed stable enough. "Is there anything else we should take with us?"

Fone took a quick glance around them. "I don't think so. Anything more would just slow us down." He remembered something, opening his satchel and pulling out five apples. "Here. This'll have to do for breakfast for now."

The others took it gratefully, Lathan wishing fervently that there was more, but thinking it wise to keep his thoughts to himself.

"We're gonna need water in our canteens," Fone continued, shaking the nearly empty containers. We'll do that at the well as we head out. Who knows where we'll find more again."

All their gear packed and fire doused, the Bones and Bartleby shimmed out the door and into the still cold air. Lathan shivered at the unexpected chill, grateful that they would have blankets later, thanks to Bartleby's strength and Smiley's ingenuity.

They made there way over to the well, Phoney and Fone Bone working quickly to fill the canteens, each member of their company taking a few sips before they finished. The caps were screwed on tight to prevent losing any on their way, and placed securely in Fone's satchel once more.

Lathan, as he followed their unspoken leader, matched Fone's pace, wanting to stay as sandwiched between all three cousins as possible. His gaze flitted around him, his mind trying not to think of the various creatures that might be staring back at him. He was deathly afraid of the rat creatures returning, and that feeling only grew the farther they got from the farmhouse. Their only safety now behind them.

"Hey, um, guys?" Lathan spoke up, uncertainly and in a voice little more than a whisper. "Where are we going now?" When they had arrived, he had understood that their objective had been to reach the farmhouse. But, now, he wasn't sure exactly where else there was to go in a place like this.

"As far as we need to to find someone," Fone answered, eyes straight ahead and focused on their path. They had entered the woods now, and his senses were on full alert. "We'll even go to Atheia if we have to. We have to know what happened here."

Lathan nodded, reading the hint of determination in Fone Bone's voice. He was quiet a moment, before he ventured to speak again. "You know...I'm kind of lost here. I...I don't really understand any of this."

That got Fone Bone's attention, and the expression he sent Lathan was borderline apologetic. "You really haven't heard anything of our adventures in the Valley?" he asked, almost sounding a little amused; like it was actually funny that he didn't know.

"Well, no. Of course I know something of it," Lathan defended insistently. "How could I not? You've been Boneville's main focus for the last year and a half." He paused. "It's just, what's up with this place? I thought that it-"

"That we were just making it all up," Phoney grumbled from behind him. And, as much as Lathan would have liked to deny it, the Bone was right.

"...Yeah."

Smiley, who was in the back of their procession with Bartleby, spoke up. "We can't really blame you for that," he said gently. "It's not like we had any proof. No pictures; no evidence. They said Bartleby didn't count because he could have come from anywhere." He shrugged. "Even when they sent a team in a helicopter out here, they couldn't find anything."

"The only reason we can come up with is that they either went in the wrong direction, or that there's some kind of magic that shields this place from being fond," Fone added distractedly.

Lathan's expression became unconvinced. "Magic?"

Fone chuckled. "That's how we used to feel. Believe me."

Lathan shrugged, looking back at their surroundings. The forest was thick, dark, and smelled very strongly of rotting vegetation. "What happened here, then? You guys described this place as beautiful and full of life?"

"That's what we want to find out. It used to be." Fone carefully stepped over a fallen log, holding out a hand to help the others do the same. "The thing about this Valley is that evil has tried to settle here in the past. More than once. Maybe it's trying again."

"Would that be the 'dark lord' you three mentioned in your interviews?" Lathan tried. Then he nearly ran into Fone Bone's back when the Bone came to a sudden halt. Fone turned around to face him, eyes filled with an emotion that Lathan couldn't quite read.

"Yes," was Fone's low answer. Almost like he was afraid to be heard. "We did our part to defeat him. We weren't the ones to give the final blow, but we helped. I..." His voice broke, and he had to swallow before continuing. "The Lord of the Locust was an enemy beyond anything you could ever find in a novel. Or movie. Or anything. He was...pure darkness, and hurt. We all saw what he was capable of, and when he was defeated, there was no better feeling then knowing that the terror he brought was gone...But..."

"But now you're not so sure he is gone," Lathan finally pieced together. He still wasn't sure how much of this 'dark lord' stuff he believed, but something bad was certainly in this place. And he was finding it harder and harder to take all of the Bone cousins' words as fantasy.

Fone nodded, turning back around and continuing onward. "Exactly."

They traveled on for quite a ways, the atmosphere and background changing very little. The smell of decaying plants was nauseating, to the point that Lathan kept gagging. Finally he opted to hold his hat over his nose, to keep himself from making the embarrassing noise any more than he had to.

Water, as they had expected, was rare. And when they did come across it, it was dirt and mucky, like the spring Lathan had fallen into the night before.

The journey was uneventful, which was both a blessing and a curse. While they were all very glad not to come across any foes in their travels, the quiet was eating at their nerves. Every snap of a twig or misstep on their part frayed them even more. Even Bartleby was on edge, his purple fur bristled.

It was close to noontime when they finally got a change of scenery. The forest gave way to yet another clearing, a bigger one than at Gran'ma's farm. It stretched out before them, opening out into a field that was just as sadly abandoned as everything else had been. But there was one thing of interest on its plane.

"Another farmhouse," Smiley pointed out from the cover of the trees. He pointed with a pale finger out into the distance, where a small house sat perched in the center of the field.

Lathan narrowed his eyes. "Do you think there's anyone home?"

"Doubt it," Phoney huffed.

"But there's no harm in looking," Fone added. He shouldered his satchel again and headed out into the field, his cousins, Bartleby, and Lathan following directly behind.

None of them noticed the pair of uncertain eyes that followed them in the shadows.

* * *

 **There we go! ;)**


End file.
